Let Go
By Kuro Kin'youbi
Disclaimer: I don't own Jak and Daxter, I don't own Naughty Dog, or anything like that.
Author's note: I'd like to thank Red Hawk K'sani for the awesome idea! If it wasn't for the idea there wouldn't be a sequel! And also, this is for Emera Took and shadows-of-flame. Enjoy everyone!
Jak sat on a high ledge, looking over the city of Spargus. He had managed to reunite with his father, and life was pretty good. His alter egos provided someone to talk to – someone apart from Daxter – and Damas was there for him when he needed a father to talk to. So, life was good. It had only been a couple of weeks since he came back from the Rift Rider, to see Damas, and now his home was in Spargus with his father.
Aren't you supposed to go and meet Damas and Daxter soon?
Light's angelic voice could be heard.
"Yeah." Jak said. "Just another minute. If I fly there it'll take me about 2 minutes."
Don't underestimate time, Jak.
Dark growled.
"Alright, fine." Jak replied.
He focused his mind, and the wings came out of his back. His body was enveloped in light eco, and he jumped up. He leapt off the ledge and flew down past the rocks to the shore of the city. He flew past the citizens – some stupid enough to fire their guns at him – and to the Palace. He landed, and the wings were gone. The door opened for him and he took the lift up.
"Jak! You're late!" Daxter greeted as soon as he saw Jak.
"No, you were early, as usual." Damas replied.
Daxter turned around and looked at Damas. "Same difference." He snorted.
"Dax, be nice." Jak said.
Jak sat down on the steps by Damas' throne and looked around. "So, what's happening in Haven, Dax?"
"Well…" Daxter began.
A loud rumbling sound could be heard outside. Damas practically jumped out of his seat and over to the windows. He looked out in disbelief.
"Haven City's under attack!" He exclaimed.
Jak ran over to the window and peered out. He couldn't see much, just the Wasteland, Haven City in the far-off distance, with a cloud of smoke.
"We need to get to the city!" Damas said. "Jak, you're coming, right?"
"Of course!" Jak said.
"Let's go already!" Daxter yelled. "Come on, you old grandpas!"
Jak hopped into the drivers seat of the Ram 'Rod. Daxter climbed onto his shoulder, and Damas stepped up to the car.
"Let me show you how a King drives." He chuckled.
Jak grinned and slid over into the passengers seat. Damas climbed up and sat down.
"Ready?" He asked.
"Ready for what?" Daxter asked.
Damas started up the car and put his foot down on the pedal. It sped off faster than Daxter remembered Jak driving a buggy.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaooo!" He yelled as they leapt over dunes and sliced through streams and rivers.
Jak loved the feel of driving this fast. His hair blew back in the breeze, and he could feel Daxter sinking his claws into his shoulder as he hung on for dear life.
Several Metal Heads started to chase them, Jak could hear them roaring as they drove along.
"Jak!" Damas yelled, trying to beat the roaring sounds of the Metal Heads and the wind. "Take the gun!"
Jak climbed steadily into the back and pressed the button to switch on the gun. It whirred into life and started to blast the advancing Metal Heads. They moaned and fell to the ground. Damas drove over another dune and nearly fell off the buggy.
"JAK!" Daxter screeched.
"I'm fine!" Jak called, but in real facts he wasn't. He was holding onto the bar at the back by almost the tips of his fingers, and he knew he was going to fall off.
"Tell Damas to keep up the current speed!" Jak called to Daxter over the noise around them. "I'll catch up with you guys!"
"What?" Daxter asked, but Jak let go.
"Jak!" Damas called.
Jak was flung back by the force, landing face first in a dune. Several Metal Heads were stomping after the Ram 'Rod, and Jak realised what folly it had been to try and shoot them away. He felt the wings coming out of his back, and he flew up into the air. He trailed along behind the Metal Heads for a while, waiting for the time where the Ram 'Rod had gained enough space from the Metal Heads where he could execute his plan. Finally, it went through the tunnel underneath the Volcano. With a short clap of his hands, the entire world around him froze. He shot several light beams at the frozen Metal Heads, and they collapsed slowly.
He growled, and flew down closer to them. The time was running out for the Flash Freeze, and there were still two Metal Heads that needed dispatching. He shot a few more beams at them, watching them fall down from the corner of his eyes as he flew to where the Ram 'Rod was stuck in time. He settled down, a firm grip on the bar, and stopped the Flash Freeze.
"I'm back." Jak announced.
"JAK!" Daxter screeched again. "What happened to you?"
"What do you mean?" Jak asked. "I did a flash freeze and stopped the Metal Heads."
"Now we have a safe passage to Haven City." Damas said. "You are a fine warrior, Jak."
Jak beamed. He wasn't really getting used to being praised like that. In Haven City, it was just mission after mission, bam bam bam. "Thanks father."
Damas nodded. "Look, I can see Haven in the distance."
Jak looked over the top of the Ram 'Rod and saw the city. It looked worse than when he saw it at the Palace. "I'm gonna check it out." He said.
"What do you mean?" Daxter asked. Jak had already changed into his light form and was flying over the top of the buggy.
"I'll go and check it out!" He called down to the two. Damas nodded and focused on driving while Daxter watched Jak fly off.
Jak flew towards the edge of the Wasteland where Haven City's walls could be clearly seen. He had remembered them as being strong and sturdy, but now they were crumbling in places and destroyed in others. What he saw next made him sick.
Dark Makers were stomping all over the city, ruining everything they came into contact with. Shooting beams from their heads and everything. Jak was devastated, as his friends were somewhere in there. He slapped his hands together and as the flash freeze came into effect he made a beeline for the nearest Dark Maker, whipping out his Peace Maker and blasting it. It made slow movements to fall back, but Jak changed his gun to the Blaster and fired 50 rounds in one. They were aiming at about 3 Dark Makers, which pleased Jak. He fired some light Eco at one, and it completely disintegrated.
"I knew we had got in way over our heads!" Torn growled, slamming his fist down on the table. The surviving Freedom League guards were sitting around in an assembly hall, along with Samos, Keira, Tess, Ashelin, Jinx, and other people.
"What are we going to do?" Ashelin asked. "Shall we call Jak?"
Torn was silent, deep in thought. Keira got out of her seat and went over to the window. The Dark Makers were still towering over the city, stomping around. She could see the whole city from where they were yet she could only see 4 Dark Makers.
"Hey, Ashelin." Keira said. "Come over here a second, would you?"
Ashelin got up out of her seat and walked over to where Keira stood. "How many Dark Makers were there before?" She asked, feeling nervous.
"Oh, at least ten." Ashelin replied, looking out the window. She saw that over half of them were gone. "WOAH!"
Everyone looked over at the two girls, standing by the window, too shocked to speak. Torn came over to them and looked out the window as well. "What are you girls gaping… oh my god!"
Jak flew over the city. His light Eco was running out fast. He needed to find Daxter and Damas before his light Eco ran out. Light was feeling the strains of the fighting now, and was flying lower than necessary.
I can't go on for much longer… He told Jak. Please find the others soon.
Jak saw the Ram 'Rod driving up to the wall. He flew directly towards it. Jak landed safely on the buggy, short of breath. "Dark Makers…"
"I thought you defeated them!" Damas asked.
Jak shook his head. "I guess not. But, what do we have to do to defeat them? I can't imagine…"
Damas pulled the Ram 'Rod over and looked at Jak. "We should be going to the Monk Temple, not to Haven City. The spirits there know the answer."
Jak, Daxter and Damas got back to Spargus a few hours later. While Damas changed the cars over, Jak made his way into the city to find the light Eco well. He found it before long and stayed in it for a while, because as well as replenishing his light Eco it healed his wounds.
After that, he wandered slowly back to the entrance to the city where Damas was standing by the Dune Hopper, Daxter telling him some tale about Metal Heads which was probably not true. Damas turned when he heard the doors open.
"Daxter has been telling me about your trip to the edge of the planet." He said, raising an eyebrow.
Jak rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows that Dax gets all dramatic about things." He replied. "So, shall we go now?"
Damas nodded, and they got into the buggy. "Do you want to drive?" Damas asked Jak. "I never liked those jumps."
Jak grinned, and Daxter climbed onto his shoulder. "So, basically Jak, Damas is saying that he doesn't want to be the cause of us falling into the water to our deaths."
Jak glared ad Daxter, who was laughing. He flicked the Ottsel off his shoulder and smirked. "Let's go!"
He sped off, out of the City gates, and into the Wilderness. Jak took a well-worn route across the Wasteland to the Monk Temple. Daxter was in charge of the guns, for any stray Marauders that dared to cross their path.
"Why do you think the answer is at the Monk Temple, Damas?" Daxter asked, blasting a nearby Marauder. "What could be there?"
"The answer." Damas replied. "Is usually where you don't expect it? You're getting to be like Pecker, Daxter, but not too smart for your own good."
Jak laughed at Damas' insult to Daxter, and Daxter just rolled his eyes. "You've been around Jak too long."
Jak smacked Daxter in the back of the head, and smirked. "Well the, what does that do to you, huh Dax?"
"It means I'm completely insane!" Daxter announced, firing the gun at yet another Marauder.
Jak came up to the gaps and jumped over them neatly. Damas hadn't seen such good vehicle work in a while, and was impressed.
"Impressive vehicle skills, my boy." Damas praised.
"Thanks." Jak replied, smiling.
They hopped over the last gap and Jak brought the car to stop. "Well, we're here." He said. "Are we all going in?"
"Yeah, why not?" Daxter asked, jumping onto Jak's leg and climbing up to his shoulder like a rat looking for food.
They walked in together. Jak looked around at the temple; it hadn't changed much since he was last there. Jak noticed the eye was back, though. He walked over to the dark Eco crystal embedded in the wall, and activated it. He vanished. Daxter, however, could see the footprints in the sand that randomly littered the temple floor as he made his way over to the door. The eye didn't see a thing, as the invisible Jak opened the door, causing the eye to malfunction.
"You did it, Jak!" Daxter exclaimed as Jak re-appeared.
Damas walked up to the door and examined it. "For many years my monks have perished trying to find a way in here."
"Well, we have Jak the genius!" Daxter bragged.
"Shut up, Dax." Jak said angrily. "Stop making it out as though I'm a good person."
They had made it as far as they could have gone. Jak looked up at the statue that stood before them. It came to life. Jak waited for it to start talking.
"You disrupted time, Jak."
"Is it saying anything?" Damas asked.
Only Jak had heard that. He looked around nervously, not wanting to believe what he was hearing.
"How?" Jak asked.
"Bringing your father back from the dead… remember what happened when you let him stay dead?"
"No, I don't!" Jak said. "Tell me!"
Daxter and Damas looked at Jak. Apparently he was the only person who could hear the statue speaking.
"You defeated the Dark Makers, and even though your father died in your arms you were known throughout the world for eternity. But now, the Dark Makers still live and the only people that know you are your friends."
Jak crossed his arms, deep in thought. He was suspicious of what the statue was saying to him. Surely, it wasn't saying that Damas had to die?
"So, what are you saying?" He asked, fearing the answer.
"Go back to the time where the accident is. You have to let fate play out."
Jak sunk to his knees. "But, why?" He asked in despair. "I don't want to do that!"
Damas looked at his son in shock. What was the Precursor Statue talking to him about that was making him so sad?
"You have to let Damas die, Jak! It's the only way the world can have peace!"
Jak buried his head in his hands and growled. He really didn't want to see Damas die again. The first time was bad enough, but now, again, just so the world could have peace?
"… Fine." Jak finally said, wiping the tears from his eyes so that Damas and Daxter wouldn't see them.
Jak was silent all the way to the Oasis; the place where he had left the Rift Rider. He pulled up by the water and hopped out.
"Jak, where are you going?" Damas asked.
"I'll see you two back in Spargus!" Jak said. "I need to… reflect."
He sat down under one of the trees and looked at them. "There are Marauders coming. Go, now! Trust me, I'll be back soon!"
Damas looked at Jak, then nodded and drove the Dune Hopper away. As soon as Jak knew they were out of view, he ran around to the cave and to the Rift Rider. He got into it and set the time for when Damas died.
The Rift Rider lifted up a little, and with a pop it vanished forever out of that timeframe.
Jak and Daxter ran up to where Pecker was sitting on a piece of rubble. He saw them, then announced: "Where have you been? I've moulted three times already just waiting for you."
Jak grinned and Pecker continued. "Onin says, we must get though the Palace ruins, but I think…"
His eyes widened in shock and Jak spun around. In front of them were three dark Eco Satellites that he remembered well from when he arrived in Spargus for the first time. But these weren't out of order. They were positioned and ready to kill. Pecker squawked and flew off in a flash of coloured feathers.
"Well, Jak…" Daxter gulped. "Let me just say, before it's all over…"
Jak turned his head to look at his shoulder-companion.
"… Riding on your shoulder, although it is kinda boney, and uncomfortable… well, you've been a good pal."
Daxter wiped an imaginary tear from his eye and patted Jak's shoulder. Jak nodded his head in agreement.
"You too, Dax. These adventures, they've been great…"
The satellites made a whirring sound, and got ready for the kill, when a wall collapsed to the side and a desert buggy crashed through the satellites, destroying them completely. It stopped in front of Jak and it turned out to be Damas driving it.
"Someone call for an army?" He asked, smirking.
Jak walked up to it and looked up at the Sand King. "You're a long way from the desert." He said. "I thought you said a smart warrior never takes his opponents head on?"
Damas nodded, and smirked. He pointed to his head. "That depends on how strong your skull is. I'd say you and I are both rather head strong." He added, as Jak climbed up into the Ram 'Rod.
"Let's finish this." Jak said.
Jak had managed to twist and turn the Ram 'Rod through the second part of the Palace Ruins, and they had deactivated the force fields that blocked off the next area.
He drove the car up the ramp and stopped it. Damas turned to him and smiled. "Well…"
Jak heard a whizzing noise, and the two turned and looked up to see a missile flying towards the car. It smashed into it and upturned it, throwing Jak and Daxter away from it.
Jak groaned and opened his eyes. He didn't know if he had been knocked out or what, but there was no sign of Daxter or Damas around him. He got to his feet shakily, and walked around the upturned buggy.
He found Damas first. Lying trapped under the Ram 'Rod.
"Damas!" He cried, running to the mans side.
Damas looked up and saw Jak there. "Not… bad driving, kid." He breathed.
Jak propped Damas up against him so he could breathe better. "It was a good fight," He coughed. "And a good day to die."
Jak looked down at Damas, his heart filled with dread. He should have been more careful driving that stupid buggy. Now, it was going to kill Damas.
"I'm… very proud…" He continued. "To have been by your side, in the end."
Jak knew he could do something to help him live, but he was in too much shock to move.
"This world is not yet out of heroes…" Damas said.
"We did well together." Jak said, finally finding the will to speak. He had to find a way to save Damas. "Don't move, I'll…"
Damas stopped him by grabbing his arm. Jak stopped and looked down at the failing King.
"Please, promise me one thing." He breathed. "Promise me you'll find my son, Mar."
Jak nodded. It was the least he could do for the man who took him under his wing.
"You'll know him when you see this…" Damas continued, placing in Jak's hand the seal of the house of Mar. One that he had the very same of, around his neck on a chain.
Jak could just picture the young child he had seen in Haven City the previous year. He then knew, after what Kor had told him, that the person Damas was referring to was in fact Jak himself!
"A symbol of our lineage, in the great house of… Mar…"
Jak looked down at Damas and smiled sadly. "Save the people Jak," Were his last words. "They need you…"
"Father…" Jak murmured as Damas went cold in his arms.
Well, do you like it? Please let me know what you think!