With the directions received from Onin, the gang made their way through the city to the Canyon that Onin had mentioned, where they were to use the artifacts from the forest ruin. The canyon turned out to be in the forest area and rather close to the entrance. The completed Seal of Mar opened the path to the canyon, letting the team make their way to where the relics needed to be used. The path beyond the gate was straightforward, with no Metal Heads or Krimzon Guards to block their path.

"Look at all this!" Twilight said excitedly as she looked around.

Various ancient Precursor machinery filled the area at the end of the path, which activated as the gang placed the three artifacts in slots waiting for them. When the machinery finished, a laser shot toward the city, destroying a statue of Baron Praxus.

"Ha! Won't he be steamed when he sees that!" Eddy cackled.

"Looks like it revealed a hidden entrance of some kind," Hilda said as she looked ahead.

"Talk about hiding in plain sight," Jak muttered as the gang quickly made their way back to the city.

Beyond the hidden door, an elevator carried the gang deep into the earth. At the bottom of the shaft, The Shadow and Kor awaited them, with Mar at their sides. Against the far wall was a massive sculpture of a Precursor Oracle surmounting a massive door.

"You did it, Jak!" The Shadow marveled. "You actually found Mar's Tomb!"

Great! Now what?" Ben asked. "We send this poor kid into a meat grinder?"

"Yeah, he's too small and gentle to be doing this stuff," Hilda said worriedly.

"This is the day I've long awaited; to finally hold the fabled Precursor Stone in my hands," Kor said in a wistful tone.

"You must be cautious, child," The Shadow told young Mar. "The Tests of Manhood are fraught with peril...and Mar's heir must face them alone."

"Well, since Little Mar is too young to be doing this...why not have Jak do it instead?" Double-D suggested.

Jak nodded and stepped up close behind Mar as the Oracle became active.

"Welcome, Heir of Mar! Finally, the Chosen One stands before us. Enter and prove yourself worthy to claim your ancient birthright."

As the door opened, Jak picked Mar up and set him on his back.

"Hold on tight," he instructed firmly as he made his way towards the door.

"But...but the heir must face the challenges alone!" Kor pointed out in confusion.

"Yes," the Oracle agreed. "Heir of Mar, You and You, alone may enter!"

As Jak crossed the threshold, the door closed behind the pair.

Once the door closed, the rest of the gang settled down to pass the time.

"So now what?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"FREEZE!"

"Oh, son of a bitch..." Ben groaned.

Even with Little Mar clinging to his back, Jak had very little trouble facing the trials within the Tomb of Mar. While taxing on his body, they were no more difficult than any other trial he'd faced in his adventures thus far. Mar seemed amazed as he gazed around in awe at all the stunts Jak was capable of, slowly wrapping his mind around this being his older self who could do all this...that he would be doing all this someday.

Mar did express his confusion when Jak groaned as he came across one particular puzzle.

"What's wrong with the colored floating tiles?"

"Trust me, kid," Jak replied quickly. "Someday, you'll hate the very sight of such a thing."

Carefully he jumped across the illuminated tiles, Mar making sure to hold on tightly.

"At least it's simpler here. Last time, standing on tiles of one color caused all tiles of that color to drop." Noticing Mar's eager expression, Jak chuckled. "You want me to tell you about my last adventure?"

As he continued, he told his younger self all about the various trials he, Daxter, Ben, and the Mane 6 had encountered going after Gol and Maia back in Sandover Village. It was only as he reached the tale of the trials in Gol and Maia's own Fortress while he was activating a second laser switch to open the last door of the tomb that he came to a realization.

"Huh...so that's why I seemed to know what to do throughout the whole journey."

Passing through the last door, Jak came to a massive Precursor Statue.

"Welcome young warrior. Eons have passed since our hope burned so brightly. Today you have proven yourself worthy to receive Mar's legacy. What you are about to receive contains grave power, and with it comes grave responsibility. Eons ago, the Precursors waged a terrible war with the Hora-quan, those terrible creatures you refer to as Metal Heads. Driven by their dark leader, the Metal Head legions destroyed our great civilization, and now, they swarm the universe unopposed, looking for the last relics of our power."

"We'll see about that," Jak muttered, shaking out his arms as he walked up to the statue.

"You are brave and determined, much like Mar before you. He tried to hide the Precursor Stone in this tomb to protect it from them. It is our last hope, and it is up to you to keep that hope alive."

Nodding, Jak walked up to the statue in silence, removing the large, green, octagonal stone from its mounting...before quickly rolling backward as Praxus flew in a large mecha.

"You are more valuable to me alive after all, Jak! You've led me right to the Precursor Stone! Now, hand it over, or your Underground friends up above will pay the price!"

"Hold this," Jak gently instructed, handing the Precursor Stone to Little Mar. "I need to deal with this guy real quick."

"Don't take me lightly, boy!" Praxus roared as he braced the spider-like mech against the statue.

"I don't. But a mech like that...just isn't a threat to me." Jak popped out a clip of Vulcan Fury ammo, carefully popping out the Blue Eco shells.

"You think you're that strong?" Praxus demanded angrily.

"No...But I know how to fight it." Jak said as he opened the shells.

And with that, much to Praxus' shock, Jak promptly chugged the contents down his throat.

"Are you mad?!" Praxus demanded, shocked. "That's pure Eco!"

"Exactly," Jak replied, drawing Twilight's Eco Blades and charging them with Red Eco. Dashing forward too fast for Praxus to track due to the Blue Eco boosting his speed, he brought the blades down, slashing all eight legs off the mech before splitting it open.

As the mech and escape pod collapsed, Praxus leaped out, rolling to his feet.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect THAT," He muttered, drawing a pair of Eco Blades of his own. "I've been calling you boy mistakenly all this time it seems. So let's settle this like men!"

Both lunged forward, clashing their blades against each other. Jak was careful, using one blade to strike forward while holding the other back to block incoming strikes. Praxus, on the other hand, lunged in for a full-force clash, trusting in his greater bulk to overpower Jak's slimmer frame, and believing himself to have greater stamina than the Eco boosted warrior.

Little Mar, for his part, watched in awe, clutching the Precursor Stone tight to himself as the warriors fought against each other.

After a few full-force clashes, Jak suddenly chuckled.

"I just realized...I can't lose here."

"What are you talking about?" Praxus demanded angrily. "You truly think you're so great?!"

He spun, trying to catch Jak on the backswing of his blade, only for him to block, moving into position almost before the strike was thrown.

"I don't need to be! Take a look at who's watching. A child that young, a fight this intense...whether he knows it or not, he's going to remember this fight all his life, replaying it in his dreams."

Jak spun around, kicking Praxus in the face before catching one of his Eco Blades at the hilt, sending it flying away from the Baron's grip.

"So what?!" Praxus demanded as he held his remaining blade two-handed. "What sort of advantage does that give you?"

He lunged in, trying to skewer Jak. For his part, Jak sidestepped easily, catching the baron's extended arm under his own before bringing his remaining blade up to his throat.

"Guess who he grows up to be?"

Praxus stared at Jak, stunned as the pieces all fell into place for him.

"Now it makes sense... The ability to biologically metabolize Eco of any color...that's unique to Mar's line. So...are you going to kill me now? Take back your throne?"

Jak stared back at him for a time. "Keira tells me you've treated her like a second daughter this past half a decade or so. Was that genuine?"

Praxus growled. "What does that have to do with anything?!"

"If I'm going to kill you, I should understand you first. You put Ben and me through a lot of pain, after all." Jak replied simply. "Well?"

"What does it matter?" Praxus growled. "My heart is just another tool to me. If feelings I have are useful to a situation, I make use of them. If not, I suppress them. And I can fake feelings I don't have if need be!"

"Was. It. Genuine?" Jak asked once again.

Praxus screamed in frustration. "Yes, Maker damn you, yes! She wasn't much younger than Ashelin, and a lot like her! I wanted to take care of her and protect her, and since it helped win her loyalty I did so!"

"That's good."

Reaching into his pocket, Jak pulled out something Keira had prepared and slammed it down on the metallic parts of Praxus' skull. The Baron staggered back, clutching at his head before eventually falling to his knees.

"What...what happened? What did...you do?"

"Keira got ahold of your medical records," Jak explained. "We were able to figure out that when your head was wounded during a raid on the Metal Head nest and you used Metal Head parts to repair it, some Dark Eco was left behind inside you, leaving you somewhat susceptible to the signals the Metal Head Leader uses to control the others. Not enough to fully control you, but enough to warp your mind and perceptions. The device I just slammed into your skull contained a tiny bit of Light Eco Keira was able to extract from her last Power Cell from our old timeline. She gave it to me just before I entered the Class 3 Zoomer race. But she told me it would only work if the Dark Eco hadn't fully corrupted your feelings."

Praxus stared up at Jak...at Mar. "That's why...you made me answer? To see...how much of the real me was left?"

Jak nodded. "And it seems there was enough. That small dose won't be permanent, though. We'll need a great deal more Light Eco to fully purge the Metal Head Leader's influence on you...either that or eliminate him. But we have a few weeks grace period before he can start influencing you again."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just kill me?" Praxus demanded intensely.

Jak smirked. "You're more useful to me alive."

"You...you..." Praxus began before slumping, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"I don't plan to lead some insane charge into the nest," Jak told him bluntly. "Metal Heads are built for fighting armies. With enough ammo and preparation...my friends and I will take them down ourselves. They won't even know what hit them."

Praxus sighed...and then shifted to a kneeling position, his fist over his heart.

"Command me, My King."

Jak glowered down at him. "I want to believe this...but as you yourself said, every thought and emotion is another tool for you-"

"He speaks true," the Precursor Statue proclaimed. "We see into his mind and heart. The corruption of the Hora-quan twisted him, but the twists are coming unraveled. Knowing the influence the Dark Leader had on him, he now no longer fully trusts his own thoughts, instincts, and plans. But you, whom he tortured with Darkness to forge into a weapon, now speak to him as the King he believed in once did, and he is ready to follow the line of Mar once more."

Jak blinked in surprise, amazed that the Precursors could read Praxus so fully. However, seeing how the Baron wilted under the pronouncement, he knew that it was true. Nodding, he walked over to young Mar and took back the Precursor Stone.

"Hold onto this, I'll need it later. In the meantime, keep an eye on my younger self as well. And don't let anyone know that you're working for me now."

"Understood, sire," Praxus agreed formally. He then stood up. "You have a plan?"

"First, I'm going to break into the Fortress and bust everyone out," Jak explained. "Then I'm going to carry out the rest of Keira's plan to purge Krew's influence on Haven. Then I'm going after the Metal Head Leader." Cocking his Blaster, he turned to walk out. "And when I get back from that, we're going to have a long talk about my Dad!"

"I look forward to it..." Praxus sighed as he stood back up, startled as young Mar walked up and took his hand, smiling up at him. Not knowing why he did so, Praxus smiled back.

Jak made his way out to find that Ben, Hilda, Rolf, and Daxter were already there.

"We tried to stop them..." Ben sighed. "But there were too many at once."

"We just barely managed to escape ourselves," Hilda said.

"We're getting them back," Jak said firmly. "You just have to trust me and follow my lead."

"Rolf shall follow you justly, Heir Jak!"

"And you know me, I always got yer back!" Daxter grinned.

With no other prompting, the five set out to rescue the Mane 6 and the rest of their friends, making their way into the Fortress in the very same way the Mane 6, Daxter, and Ben had helped Jak escape. Security had been greatly improved, as the Guardsmen stationed there had better guns and armor, making them much tougher to take down. However, Jak decided it was time to show them exactly what he was capable of.

Rather than using his guns, he downed several Yellow Eco cartridges and then shifted into Dark Jak.

"What the heck are you doing?!" Hilda gawked.

"Wait, isn't that what I did a while ago?" Ben asked.

"Just trust me!" Jak said.

As he'd expected, the transformation sustained the Eco charge, allowing him to blast Dark Yellow blasts of Eco from his hands far longer than he normally could, even as he leaped from platform to platform, using the physical boost of the Dark transformation to easily clear most obstacles. Another advantage he discovered with using his Eco abilities instead of the guns was that the fireballs could be thrown around corners much easier than bullets could...and the Dark Eco in them made the fireballs home in on the Guardsmen.

"You know what, NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT!" Ben grinned as he took some stray Yellow Eco cartridges and injected them into his body, the veins glowing a mixture of purple and yellow as he turned his arms into cannons of biomass that fired exploding cannonballs.

"I want what they're having..." Hilda said to Rolf and Daxter, the latter of whom was perched on her shoulder.

When Jak and Ben encountered a long path with several Guards swarming from pits on either side, Jak downed Blue Eco charges while Ben injected himself with Red Eco charges, which also restored the Dark Eco inside them. Dashing forward, Jak slammed the Guards aside as he passed, not even giving them a chance to counter, some not even realizing they were under attack before they went down as Ben smashed them with Hammerfists that now had red studded spikes protruding from them.

When that path led him to an electrified fence blocking the way, Jak used the Blue Eco inside him to race up the wall and leap over the fence before smashing its power supply.

With the enhancement his Dark transformation gave his old Eco abilities, Jak was able to quickly make his way past nearly any obstacle he came across as he made his way to where his friends were held. Ben caught up and rapidly went up to each cell and ripped the doors off...much to the surprise of several of the occupants.

"Whoa, Nelly! How in the hay did you do that?!" Applejack gawked.

"Jak's gone Super Saiyan!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"You sure you've got control of yourself, Jak?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"Combining it with my old Eco abilities helped," Jak replied.

"Wait, where's Little Mar?" Double-D asked as he came over just as Hilda and Rolf caught up.

"Perfectly safe," Jak promised as he ripped open the last cell. "Samos, are you alright?"

The Shadow was there, but so was another individual that greatly surprised everyone.

"What took you so long? I added six rings to my trunk waiting for you all to get me out of here-Great yakow horns! What happened to you and Ben, Jak?"

Wait a minute! You're you! I mean the other you!" Daxter gasped. "I mean...you know what I mean."

"I'm pretty sure you already know what happened to me," Jak replied sourly as he reigned the Dark Eco in, reversing his transformation.

"I'm just happy to see you're still as cranky as ever." Ben joked.

"Yes," the Shadow agreed. "It seems I have an older time twin...and now I can see just what a cranky old log I become. I can't believe it happens in only two decades!"

"And I can't believe what an immature sproutling I used to be!" Samos snapped back. "You really think your soft touch is any good for anyone working for you?"

As the two began bickering with each other, Daxter just looked at Jak in confusion.

"I am SO confused right now."

"For now, how about we head back to HQ?" Twilight suggested. "Vin's activated the gate, so we should get out of here before the Baron sends more troops after us."

Jak smirked mysteriously. "I don't think we need to worry about that. Speaking of, though, I need to tell Keira that the mission was a complete success."

"Which mission was that?" Samos asked curiously.

"You'll see. Let's just say that a lot of people are in for a big surprise." Jak said.

"Um...O-Okay, we trust you..." Fluttershy nervously said.

"Ooooh! Mysterious Plot Twist!" Ed and Pinkie said excitedly.

As Jak refused to answer beyond that, the group made their way through the Warp Gate, eager to get back to somewhere that could be considered safe and plan their next move. Samos was also eager to see his daughter again. With how much Jak and Ben had changed, he couldn't help but be worried about her.

After all, there was a minor detail he needed to explain to her about her heritage as a Sage of Green Eco, especially if she and Jak were getting close...

I mostly took from the original Sons of Damas version but did some grammar corrections and the like. Also had Daxter avoid getting captured along with Ben, Hilda, and Rolf.