Chapter 7: The Return
Location: Haven City
When Jak returned to Haven City with little Mar walking next to him he was expecting somebody, anybody to challenge him and try and take the young heir, though should've known that most people just didn't care about him; that it was just the council and their people who hated him; not the average Joe; but that still didn't mean somebody couldn't be paid to do something they usually wouldn't have done
So once he'd walked into the city with his friends behind him, he made his way to the Palace where he found Ashelin and Torn arguing with a certain bald councilman. "YOU!" Vegar growled, "What are you doing here!" as he said this he spotted little Mar; who recognized the balding man right away.
Jak turned towards Sig and spoke. "Was your job just to bring me back to my father?" he asked the older man who thought for a moment.
"Well, not just that." He stated. "I was also suppose to find and kill the man responsible for taking you or bring him in for punishment by your father." He looked at Jak and then at the fuming man in front of them. "Why?"
Jak smiled as he turned back towards Vegar. "Hello Vegar," he said in a very deep voice that reminded everyone of his alter ego. "I don't think you've ever met my friend Sig here." He gestured to the Wastelander as he took several steps towards the councilman. "You see Sig here follows order by his king, who just happens to be Mar's father, Damas." Vegar's eyes widened. "Sig, Vegar here is the one who took Mar from his father." The wastelander gave a grunt in acknowledgment.
"Y-You have no proof." He stuttered as Sig approached the balding man.
"That's where you're wrong." He smiled, "I won't go into too many details, but let's just say Mar told me."
"Not only that, but we have my father's journals which speak of you being the one behind everything, including the Queen's death." She paused as she grabbed the staff in Vegar's hand and pressed the little button on the top causing a small needle to poke out. "How much you wanna bet this'll have the poison that killed the Queen in it."
Sig grabbed the squirming man and picked him up by the collar of his expensive jacket. "You and I have date with the King, shorty." with that he went to leave but paused by Jak as he passed him. "Call me when you're ready to come back Chilipepper."
Jak nodded. "I will when we get on the transporter Sig." and watched the man take Vegar, who was yelling obscenities, out of the room.
"That's one way of taking out the trash." Daxter joked as he turned back to Ashelin and Torn.
"Look Jak, we owe you and apology." She walked over to him and looked at Daxter. "and to you too Daxter. Without you two this city would still be under my father's control and Kor would still be alive and…"
"Hey," Jak touched her shoulder causing her to look up at him. "I forgive you." He rolled his shoulders. "It's kinda what Dax and I do. Besides we needed to leave for a little while and get control of ourselves." He smiled at Ashelin. "As much as I like to race, I love killing metal heads too and on the way in we killed a few dozen. Looks like you could use the Demolition Duo again."
Ashelin looked over at Torn, whose eyebrows rose up a bit. "Yeah," he said "we could. You'll be paid whatever your price is."
"Really?" Daxter asked unbelievingly. "Yer going ta pay us whatever we say?"
Torn looked at Ashelin, who nodded. "Yes." he replied.
Looking at Jak, Daxter smiled. "I could roll with that." He said smiling. "First though…"
"We've got to get Mar through time." Jak finished, "The Rift Gate is buried."
"Not so my boy!" came older Samos' voice from behind them. Upon turning around Samos spotted his daughter. "Keira my child, you look wonderful!"
Keria smiled. "That's Dad." She said this causing Samos' eyes to widen.
"You've grown so much in the last six months." He would've continued if he hadn't been interrupted by the look Jak was giving him. "Right." He walked to the front of the group. "We were able to find the Rift Gate and move it to the cavern inside Mar's tomb."
"Mar's tomb?" Jak asked with curiosity ebbing his voice.
"Yes, I thought it would be safer there." Samos said with a nod. "The rider is already in place. All we're waiting for is the heir now." The older man looked down at young Mar and then at Jak. "Are you ready son?"
The boy looked at Jak and then back at Samos. Jak could see Mar's hesitation. "You need to go." He said. "Oh and a word of advice, stay away from wumpbee nests on your ninth birthday." He could hear Daxter and Keira chuckling as his ears fell a bit. "No matter what a red hair boy says, stay away from them." As he said this Mar took out a necklace he'd been wearing this whole time and handed it to Jak before taking Samos' hand and leaving with the older man.
Looking down at the necklace Jak took the pendant off of the rope and put it in his pocket and turned towards Ashelin and Torn. "The races end next week in Spargus, afterwards I'll return." He promised as he turned and left. Daxter and Keira close behind him.
As soon as they left the palace they spotted Tess. "So where are we going now?" Daxter asked as they headed towards the transporter.
"Spargus." Jak said. "I've got a trophy to win!" he said this with some enthusiasm and smiled at Daxter. "Race you." With that he took off on foot towards the port.
"Hey!" Daxter yelled after him and took off in a sprint.
Tess and Keira looked as the two boys took off running. "Speeder or two-seater?" Tess asked with a giggle.
"Either way we'd beat them." Keira answered with a laugh as the two grabbed a speeder bike and took off towards the port.
Location: Spargus City
Damas watched as Vegar's beaten body was drug out from his sight. Looking over towards Sig he sighed. "Thank-you Sig." as he spoke he rubbed his knuckles which now hurt from punching the snot out of the councilman.
"What'll happen to him?" he asked as he watched Kleiver disappear with the unconscious man.
"Knowing Kleiver he'll sell him to the Marauders." He sat down on the throne. "To tell the truth I could care less what happens to him." He smiled, "I just hope he gets what's coming to him." He then looked at Sig. "Now, as for Jak." He saw Sig go stiff. "I believe you know and should've before. I took Onin's familiar for me to believe what I'd already been told." He shook his head. "I apologize Sig."
"I takes a big man to admit that he's wrong." Sig said with a crooked grin appearing on his visage. "Good thing you're the bigger guy."
Damas laughed. "True." He stood and grabbed his staff weapon. "Now, let's talk about these racing games…" he began as they left the room by using the elevator and going down to the main street.
Location: Unknown
Mar looked around himself and saw trees of all shapes and sizes. The breeze smelt like salt and wet. There were bugs on the ground and the ground itself was soft, warm and fluffy. He sat down on the ground and wiggled his toes into the sand. Turning his head he looked over at the green man with the weird hair. He was always bossing people around and scared Mar, but the guy that looked like him; Jak, said he was a good guy and Jak would never lie to him…would he?
Suddenly he heard a noise and quickly stood up and ran over to Samos. Poking his head around the green man he saw a red hair buck tooth boy. "Hiya, I'm Daxter, who ar' you weirdoes?" Samos began sputtering at the little red haired boy, but Mar smiled and since this was a place he was going to be starting over like the other green guy said he decided to do something he'd never done very well before and spoke. "Jak." He said as he pointed to himself and smiled as Samos looked at him weirdly.
"I'm Samos Hagai, the Green Sage.
"Like the blue guy in Rock Village." Daxter said putting two and two together.
"Blue guy?" Samos inquired.
"Yeah, I think he's called the Blue Sage, only yer the Green one." He said with a smile and began to lead the two back to the village he'd come. "By the way, this Sandover Village yer in." he turned around and walked backwards. "Where'd ya come from?"
"Far away." Samos said, "Where's the authorities of this village."
"Auhtorit-?" Daxter began, "Oh! Ya me the Major?" he asked causing the green man to nod. "Right there." He said pointing to a windmill type house. He walked up to Jak, "YA wanna play?"
Mar blinked and nodded enthusiastically and ran off after the red haired boy. As Samos watched this scene unfold he remembered what his older self had asked of him.
"Don't be too hard on Daxter," said his older self as he looked at the rift rider. "You'll probably arrive near Sandover, so hide the rider nearby and when you find Gol, ask him to keep the rider at his citadel and if he asks what it is, tell him you have no idea and want to study it later; but under no circumstance should it be used until you figure out what it does."
"So lie." He said to his older self.
"Yes." the elder said with a nod. "It's a necessary lie, but in ten years your time you'll come for it." he nodded. "OH!" the elder yelled as he got onto the rift. "In no certain terms is Mar or Daxter to go near Misty Island. Try to keep them away at all costs." He paused. "Eventually when Mar turns sixteen they'll make their way there, but until then…"
"I get it." he said as Mar sat down next to him. "Ready child?" the boy nodded. "Then let's go." and with that they flew off into the Precursorean rings.
Samos smiled as he watched the two boys play and laugh as suddenly Mar, who now called himself Jak, jumped onto Daxter who squealed as he was caught by his new friend. Samos turned in time to see a red haired couple walking towards them. Daxter spotted them. "Mama, Papa!" he yelled and dragged Jak over to them. A short man standing next to them smiled down at the boys. "Uncle!" Daxter yelled. "This is Jak." He said with a wide smile on his face and his eyes twinkling.
The woman and man smiled down at their son. "Hello Jak." The woman said as she wretch down towards him and picked him up. "Aren't you a friendly little guy." She giggled as Jak hugged her back.
"Mama, he's my friend!" Daxter complained as his mother sat Jak back on the ground.
"And you are?" the man asked as he spotted Samos.
Samos was about to answer, but was interrupted by Daxter. "That's Samos Hag-Hag-" the boy paused and then decided to just give the short name. "Samos the Sage." He said and turned back towards Jak. "Wanna see my shell collection?" Jak nodded and as the two began to go down to Daxter's home Daxter looked at the green haired boy. "Ya know, yer not talkative, ar' ya?" Jak shook his head. "That's okay. I talk enough for the both of us." he then went silent for a moment. "Ya wanna be my friend?" Jak blinked and then nodded causing the red haired boy to squeal with joy and thus a friendship began that would enduring for all time and legends would be born from.
M-Angel: Wow, I finished that story pretty quickly. So, what'd ya'll think? I'm thinking of a sequel, but first I'm going to do another story that once again lady-darkstreak has inspired. Yes, it'll be another AU; so be on the lookout for it. :)