Sandover, Friday Morning
"This is the Precursor ring that will lead you to the school once activated," Samos declared. "Or someone near it, anyway! I don't care! You have five minutes to say your goodbyes, Jak. FIVE MINUTES!" With that, the old (and tiny. and green) man spun around on his wooden shoes and clomped away.
Jak could hear the steady hum of the ball of blue eco intended to be used to activate the gate in the background. Samos obviously wanted him to hurry up, but he wasn't going to step into that trap right now. He turned to Daxter - his best friend, even if he was now several feet shorter than he used to be, and furry - and threw him a look of awkward desperation.
"I can't believe him!" Daxter told him, crossing his arms. "We're a pair, you and me, Jak! We're buds! And trust me, this ain't going to last long if you ask ME about it! You go the extra mile for your friends! Your war buddies! Especially ones that still HAVEN'T TURNED ME BACK!"
It had been a good few months of complaining since the last time Jak managed to look sheepish at a reminder of the accident that had made Daxter what he was now, and his original tries at it hadn't been so convincing to begin with. Not that he wasn't sorry that it had happened! Not that he didn't want to have it fixed! But seriously. It'd been an accident. Dax did have a point on another thing, though--
"--Lazy, good-for-nothing, you're probably just trying to get out of it," Daxter continued, rambling. "Not cool! We took on LURKERS together, Jak! If it wasn't for me, you never would've beaten that giant Precursor robot! Or those two INSANE DARK ECO NUTS! You owe me!"
You go the extra mile for your friends. Yeah, Dax was right about that. Jak's mouth blossomed into a confident smile.
"One semester! And then you're going to come back! You are SO NOT OFF THE HOOK, pal! Did you put Samos up to this--? That would be just like you! Throw me into a pool of dark eco ON PURPOSE--"
Jak went the extra mile. He opened his mouth. "Dax," he said.
A silence fell.
Daxter closed his mouth. Daxter opened his mouth. Daxter flew forward and snagged Jak's midsection with his spindly little arms and cried, "I AM GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH. Don't go, Jak! Don't go into the portal! Don't let that old greasebag send you off into the GREAT BEYOND! DON'T GO!" He paused in his clinging, thinking all of that over. "Or if you do, don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Jak patted him on the head and smiled. Then gave him a thumbs up. Everything was going to work out just fine. It was just going to be a couple of months. Like an eyeblink! They'd be back on adventures and such-- okay, maybe intuiting the adventures part wouldn't be such a smart idea around Dax-- but they'd be back to normal in no time at all.
"You say that now," Daxter shot back, "But you just wait! That prunelike old grouchypants is going to find a way to make it stick!"
Jak put him kindly down onto the floor, and shoved his arm into the blue eco, feeling it spiral across his nerves and neurons, speeding up his perception, sending electricity through his spine.
With slow steps, Daxter paced back towards Keira, who looked mournful. "Goodbye, Jak," she said, "Take care! Don't forget to send us some postcards! Keep yourself safe!" She got the big smile, and the long look, from Jak - memorizing her features, maybe. One day.
The gate came alive as Jak paced towards it, the blue eco like a siren call to its hidden energies. He threw one more look over his shoulder, and offered them another thumbs up. Just a couple. It'd be fine.
And then, without looking back again, he threw himself into the gate.
"They grow up so fast," Daxter said, with a sigh, and brushed away a tear.
Keira stared at him. Shook her head, rubbed her forehead, and threw one last longing look at the now-dead Precursor ring before they left.
[[ and two of two. nfb nfi ooc-okay la la the works and relish ]]
Jak could hear the steady hum of the ball of blue eco intended to be used to activate the gate in the background. Samos obviously wanted him to hurry up, but he wasn't going to step into that trap right now. He turned to Daxter - his best friend, even if he was now several feet shorter than he used to be, and furry - and threw him a look of awkward desperation.
"I can't believe him!" Daxter told him, crossing his arms. "We're a pair, you and me, Jak! We're buds! And trust me, this ain't going to last long if you ask ME about it! You go the extra mile for your friends! Your war buddies! Especially ones that still HAVEN'T TURNED ME BACK!"
It had been a good few months of complaining since the last time Jak managed to look sheepish at a reminder of the accident that had made Daxter what he was now, and his original tries at it hadn't been so convincing to begin with. Not that he wasn't sorry that it had happened! Not that he didn't want to have it fixed! But seriously. It'd been an accident. Dax did have a point on another thing, though--
"--Lazy, good-for-nothing, you're probably just trying to get out of it," Daxter continued, rambling. "Not cool! We took on LURKERS together, Jak! If it wasn't for me, you never would've beaten that giant Precursor robot! Or those two INSANE DARK ECO NUTS! You owe me!"
You go the extra mile for your friends. Yeah, Dax was right about that. Jak's mouth blossomed into a confident smile.
"One semester! And then you're going to come back! You are SO NOT OFF THE HOOK, pal! Did you put Samos up to this--? That would be just like you! Throw me into a pool of dark eco ON PURPOSE--"
Jak went the extra mile. He opened his mouth. "Dax," he said.
A silence fell.
Daxter closed his mouth. Daxter opened his mouth. Daxter flew forward and snagged Jak's midsection with his spindly little arms and cried, "I AM GOING TO MISS YOU SO MUCH. Don't go, Jak! Don't go into the portal! Don't let that old greasebag send you off into the GREAT BEYOND! DON'T GO!" He paused in his clinging, thinking all of that over. "Or if you do, don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Jak patted him on the head and smiled. Then gave him a thumbs up. Everything was going to work out just fine. It was just going to be a couple of months. Like an eyeblink! They'd be back on adventures and such-- okay, maybe intuiting the adventures part wouldn't be such a smart idea around Dax-- but they'd be back to normal in no time at all.
"You say that now," Daxter shot back, "But you just wait! That prunelike old grouchypants is going to find a way to make it stick!"
Jak put him kindly down onto the floor, and shoved his arm into the blue eco, feeling it spiral across his nerves and neurons, speeding up his perception, sending electricity through his spine.
With slow steps, Daxter paced back towards Keira, who looked mournful. "Goodbye, Jak," she said, "Take care! Don't forget to send us some postcards! Keep yourself safe!" She got the big smile, and the long look, from Jak - memorizing her features, maybe. One day.
The gate came alive as Jak paced towards it, the blue eco like a siren call to its hidden energies. He threw one more look over his shoulder, and offered them another thumbs up. Just a couple. It'd be fine.
And then, without looking back again, he threw himself into the gate.
"They grow up so fast," Daxter said, with a sigh, and brushed away a tear.
Keira stared at him. Shook her head, rubbed her forehead, and threw one last longing look at the now-dead Precursor ring before they left.
[[ and two of two. nfb nfi ooc-okay la la the works and relish ]]