Don't I Deserve a Happy Ending?
A destroyed Jak ends up in a strange, yet wonderful place where he must learn to leave the past behind him and move on, to heal and to forgive himself. And in doing so, he meets quite the assortment of people, and learns quite a few things about himself, the Precursors, and life in general.
(Music plays) Ya-nananananananana-NA! Dun-chiggachiagga-wikka! REVIEW TIME!
Sushi-Chan: All shall be explained, young padawan…as soon as I figure out what happened… . ()
Laughing Hyena: …I'd fix my spelling errors, but I'm too lazy. But thanks anyways!
Emily: Now now now…We can share! ((Hands her Torn.)) Can I borrow Sig for a while?
TORN: What the hell are you doing, girl! LET ME GO!
Amathest: Errol is adorable! Check it out, I did a picture of Metal-Errol! ((drools)) Join the dark side…we have bishonen…
www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 19919659/ --Remove spaces and paste in URL bar to see a rough sketch of MetalErrol!
Sabulana: Ilove Errol…((squeeeeeee))
VinnyRoxyFrankie: Cool! I'll read those…But…((Grabs Errol away form her)) MY CUDDLY VILLAIN! MINE! ((Hisssssss))
Jay Goose: GOTCHA! I'm one sneaky gal…
Errol smiled, revealing long, sharp white teeth and a black mouth as Jak stared with wide eyes.
"Don't look ssssso sssuprisssed, Jak." Errol said, his voice slowly becoming smoother. He hissed as a gray, forked tongue flickered out from between long, knife-like teeth. His skin had become the muted gray of metal-heads with the tattoos now a deep black and black striped running up and down the sides of his neck and face. Black and silver tubes ran from the sides of his neck and head down into the cloak, and sun-bleached red hair was in matted spikes. But despite the strange, half-metalhead appearance, it was most definitely Errol.
"Errol. What are you doing here?" Jak suddenly burst out, eyes narrowing. "Hell, you shouldn't even be alive!"
"And whyyyyy not?" Erol chuckled, rearing back to a full height that came close to eight feet. "I may not be purrrrre metal assss I onccce wasssss, but the metalheadssss have long lifessspanssssss…Actually…they have unlimited lifesssspanssssss…In a way." He flicked his tongue in Jak's direction, making the boy wince.
"Funny, I don't recall any metalheads living for that long." He snapped. "Primarily because they found themselves at the far end of a morph gun."
"Violent asssss everrrr, I sssssee."
"Oh, trust me, it's just you."
"Oh, you do know how to ssssweet talk me." Jak bit his lip and snarled.
"Get out of here." Erol blinked at him with amusement. Jak glared. "Keep on moving, looking for whatever the hell you're looking for, but you better find a new path because if I ever, and I mean, ever see you coming around here, I will hurt you." Jak took a step towards him. "I've been the cause of your death twice, and the third time, I'm gonna make sure you stay that way." Baro couldn't hold back a gasp.
"Whhhat? You didn't think that thissssss boy was assss purrre and innoccccent as he pretended to be?" Errol hissed at Baro, who jumped back as if he was a venomous snake. "Jak…or ssshould I ssay, Prrrrinccce Marrrr, isss a warrrriorrrr. I shhhhould know." Errol laughed. Jak glared and reached back behind him, he could have sworn the man behind him had been holding a rifle.
"Jak…who…what?" Baro started to say before Cazey cut him off, calm as ever as she sketched.
"Jak is not really named after the legends so much as he is the legends. He is Prince Jak Mar of Haven and Spargus, Son of Damas, the ruler of Light and Dark." She repeated as if out of a textbook. "And Errol was the great evil, as well as Erol from the legends of Haven and the head racer, lead of the Krimzone Guard." Jak felt the rifle and pulled it from the man's grasp, firing it into the air with one hand. "He is the greatest warrior of all times, trained not only in hand-to-hand, but sharp shooting as well." She didn't even look up, but the shot certainly gained everybody else's attention.
"A little aaaaangry aren't we?" Errol said with a grin. "Don't let yourrrr darrrrrker sssside shhhhow." Jak swung the barrel of the rife, in the blink of an eye it was aimed directly between Errol's eyes.
"I thought I told you to pack up your troupe of monsters and leave." Jak growled, and Errol simply raised an eyebrow before backing up.
"Now, now, no need to get tesssty." Erol hissed, learning forward so his face was right next to Jak's. "Bessssidesss, therrrre isss nothing herrrre worrrth fighting overrrr anywaysssss…" Jak jumped back as Erol's tongue flicked his face. "The warrrrrsssss arrre overrrr, Jak, therrrre issss no Haven or Sssssparrrgusss left." He chuckled dryly as he stepped back into the cloaked metalheads, pulling his hood back over his face.
"But there's still you, isn't there?" Jak snarled.
"Let me tell you something about darrrrrrk eco, Jak…" Erol said with a sigh. "It issss chaossss itssself. It twisssted my body, orrrr, what wassss left of it, into thisssss. It will eventually take it'ssssss hold on you." He began to walk away, leaving a stunned Jak loosely holding a rifle in his hands. "And when it doesss…you will underrrrrsssstand why I will not fight you…"
"What?" Jak whispered as Errol retreated into the mass of cloaked figured, who had started to walk again.
"…At lesssst…not yet…" Errol muttered to himself, forked tongue flicking over his lips. Jak didn't even register that the entire town was staring at him, all he could hear were the voices in his head, louder than ever wince he had arrived.
WHO THE HELL DOES THAT BASTARD THINK HE IS! LET ME OUT, I COULD TOTALLY TAKE HIM DOWN! GRAAAAAAAAAGH!
CALM DOWN BEOFORE YOU HURT SOMEONE! Don't listen to what Errol says, Jak, the dark eco has twisted him mind as well as his body!
AAAAAAAAAARGH!
I TOLD YOU TO CALM DOWN!
Jak shook his head before he dropped the rifle and stumbled backwards, suddenly dizzy. Baro held out a hand to steady him and Jak flinched away before he turned, and ran. Slipping in-between the buildings and disappearing form sight before Baro could even begin chase. But Cazey was immediately behind him, having dropped her sketchpad and pencil.
Jak leaped up a stack of boxes and dove over a high fence, Cazey took an astounding leap and vaulted over it right behind him. He turned and dodged, and she matched him move-for-move, but she was running out of energy fast, while Jak had the stamina that one gained from living in the wasteland. In his mind, he was back in Haven, darting about the grimy streets while the KG chased him. It wasn't until he was well out of town and into the forest that he finally stopped.
"Jaaaaaak!" Cazey's voice echoed in the distance. "Jak!" Jak didn't answer, but sat down hard, leaning against one of the great trees that made up the thick forest, he curled up with his head resting on his knees, and stayed that way, perfectly still. A squirrabit scampered over his foot, birds landed near him, but he didn't move, he could only concentrate on his breathing as he forced Dark back down.
In…
Out…
In…
AAAAARGH! ROWRGH!
Out…
In…
Out…
His head finally jerked up as a familiar voice grew near.
"Jak? Come on, son, where are you!" Baro called, followed by Cherry's barking.
"Jak!" Melo shouted, riding on Chili Pepper's back as she followed the trail while Baro combed the thicker part of the woods. Jak hung his head into his arms again and held still as the light of an eco lantern washed over him.
"Jak!" Baro exclaimed. "Over here, Melo!" Melo and Chili Pepper rushed up as Cherry nuzzled Jak's arm and Baro kneeled next to him. Jak still didn't move beyond a shuddering breath. "Come on, Jak, we should get you home…" Jak flinched away as he placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What's wrong, hon?" Melo asked softly as she sat next to him. Jak slowly looked up, and she sighed. His face was streaked with dust and tears. "So…you're the Jak of the legends?" She asked quietly. He mutely nodded. "Oh…well, that doesn't make any difference, now." She said, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Why'd you run like that? Half the towns in a scare that you went off and got yourself lost!"
When he didn't answer, Baro sighed and placed an arm about his shoulders.
"Come on, you haven't eaten anything all day. You must be getting hungry…" Jak shook his head and buried his face in his arms again, he couldn't even find out himself why he was so upset. He just…was. Suddenly and without warning, Baro reached under him and picked him up.
"Wha-a?"
"Don't be so surprised, son, I had to carry you out of the quarry when we first found you. And you're not exactly a lightweight, I could have sworn you were solid muscle!" Baro chuckled despite himself, than sighed. "Do you know why we were so eager to take you in, Jak?" Jak was silent before he looked up with a raised eyebrow.
"No…"
"The reason we were so eager to treat you as our own son was because…" Baro sighed and Melo placed and hand on his shoulder.
"Because we could never have children of our own." Melo closed her eyes as she walked, fighting back tears. "We had a son, once, but he grew sick…he was so young…" Jak blinked and rolled out of Baro's arms, looking at the two with wide eyes.
"Listen, it doesn't matter who you are, because we still would see you as our son." Baro explained, and Jak couldn't stop the tears that welled to his eyes. Baro grabbed him in a tight, spine-snapping bear hug and Melo smiled sadly as Cherry sat next to her feet, looking completely clueless as Chili Pepper poked at ants with her beak.
"Let's head home." Jak nodded and wiped at his face.
"…Yeah…"
Calmed down yet?
…Yes…
Good.
Jak was asleep before his head hit the pillow that night, of course, he had no idea of the chaos that tomorrow morning would bring…