Corad: I've said it over at my DA account, and I'll say it again...Oh Noes D: Yeah, I should've updated this sooner, but I've kinda been offline somewhat, so ya know...(trails off aimlessly) I can't remember whether I sent this chapter to you Grey-Sama...I couldn't find it if I did, so I'll just upload this version for now. I'll try to fix the mistakes myself, but if anyone spots any errors, please drop me a note so I can fix it. And speaking of beta-ing, I've begun to edit my old Cry of the Wolf fic on paper, so when I get some time I'll get all the chapters proof read on here. Started playing the Jak Games too, and I can feel myself becoming hooked again. There's been a lot of potential Palace Story ideas floating around lately too, which could be a sign that said fic may be returning. With that said, I have "Praxis X" pretty much finished, and you could probably guess what it is just by the title :D Well, enough rambling...thankyou to my readers and to my reviewers. You make writing this worthwhile.

Story Update: If there are some ppl out there, like me, who have forgotten what happened in the previous chapter, here it is - Erol, Skytha, Daxter and Simron have just passed through Venrah town after staying at the Inn. Torn aquired Jinx's help to eradicate the rat infestation, only to have Jinx's plan backfire pitifully. Jak and Fionn left Karmiin City and ventured up a mountain forest, only to have Fionn fall off a cliff.

Jak and Daxter (c) Naughty Dog, Skytha (c) JakLover, Simron (c) Some Dude, Fionn/Sharok (c) Corad.

Chapter 13 – Cold Hard Truths

He was falling, knowing death would come within seconds. How he'd longed for this, craved it. He'd made a terrible mistake; failing his task and feeling all desire to live cave in. And as he fell from the port tower, he sighed peacefully to himself, awaiting the impact he knew would take his life.

OOOoooOOO

"FIONN!" Jak yelled in panic, deciding within an instant to jump over the edge after his comrade. He felt the air whipping past him, pounding hard against his eardrums. Ahead of him screaming in fright, was Fionn, freefalling at a rapid rate. Jak felt his heart thumping painfully in his chest, and positioned himself to enable his fall to be sped up. He increased speed, gradually catching up to his friend, and closed his eyes, praying silently.

'Please Light. Help me!' Jak pleaded, and felt Light Jak's face swim into his clouded thoughts. 'My eco levels are extremely low, Jak. But to save your friend, I shall aid,' Light Jak whispered, and Jak felt himself thrown out of control. Light Eco crackled softly down his skin, his flesh becoming a pale, glowing blue while wings snapped out of his shoulder blades. He had very little eco left to save Fionn, and could not slow down time to give him any advantage. Jak doubted his lighter self could succeed, but had faith regardless.

Flapping his tentacle like wings, Light Jak dived quickly, catching up to Fionn within an instant. The older man was shaking severly, unable to contain his screams, even after Light Jak wove his arms around the man's waist. They had mere seconds before the Light eco would run out, and Light Jak changed his course, flying hard towards the opposite cliff face. He spotted a large enough ledge, and flew straight for it, feeling faint in the head. Upon reaching the solid ground, Light Jak faded, forcing Jak to take the impact. As the two struck the ground, Jak directed himself into an army roll, still clutching onto Fionn tightly. Coming to a halt, they lay there on the hard ground, Jak silently trying to control his heartbeat, and Fionn crying uncontrollably.

After a few moments had passed Jak sat up, feeling dizzy in his head. He remained still, trying to ease his faint head, while he listened to his comrade, shaking hysterically and refusing to halt his crying.

"That was too close," Jak finally muttered, looking down at the older man in concern. Reaching out a firm hand, Jak rolled Fionn onto his back, gazing down at his tightly shut eyes. "It's ok Fionn. You're safe," Jak informed, standing up to inspect the surrounding area. He wandered around the ledge, noticing a thin trail along the edge, possibly leading to the peak of the mountain again. Deciding it was worth a try, he turned back to his comrade, lying motionless on the ground. "Hey, get up. We need to get moving," Jak ordered softly, but still Fionn refused to move. It was only after a few minutes, did the older man open his eyes, his red pupils forming a stark contrast with his extremely pale face.

"I shouldn't be alive…" he whispered, staring blankly at the sky above. Frowning, Jak approached Fionn's side and knelt next to his head.

"Well you are alive," Jak replied, watching the eerily distant look in his friend's eyes.

"No, I should be dead. I tried to suicide off the Port Tower…I shouldn't be alive. Our greatest shame is breaking a promise. I broke a promise to protect Matai, and decided to take my life. For me, I would rather die than live with the shame of a failure. Why did you save me?" he asked quietly, and Jak felt uneasy staring down into Fi's distant expression.

"I couldn't let you die," Jak began, but Fionn cut him off.

"NO! I should be dead! It's a sin that I'm still alive! You needn't have risked your life, Jak. But thankyou anyway," Fionn murmured, removing himself from the ground and slowly wandering back to the ledge. Jak watched in curiosity, trying to figure out what his comrade was going to do. Part of him feared he'd jump over the edge, but Jak reassured himself Fionn would not do that.

"I'm sorry for being such a burden since first we met," Fionn whispered, turning his head back slightly to look at Jak. Jak stood up, instinct telling him to run forward. "Thankyou for accepting my company," he finished, facing the edge again. He moved to step off it, but Jak was already at his side, tackling him hard to the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Jak shouted angrily, punching Fionn in the cheek. "YOU ARE NOT JUMPING! I RISKED MY LIFE TO SAVE YOUR SORRY ASS, AND IF YOU THINK, FOR ONE SECOND THAT I'LL LET YOU JUMP!!" he roared, giving Fionn another punch as he gripped the other elf's collar, shoving him harder against the ground.

Fionn's eyes were widened; pupils tiny as he lay speechless, mouth hanging open. Once Jak had finished shouting, Fionn slowly turned his head to face Jak, mouth moving but no words coming out.

"You damn idiot…" Jak hissed, shaking his head to hide his disbelief. "Shame shouldn't drive you to suicide…you can't go killing yourself because of one failure," he murmured, glaring now with softened eyes down at his comrade. "And…and even if you had tried to suicide back at Haven, it gives you no right to try it again now. You made a promise to me, Fi. Or have you forgotten? You promised to guide and protect me. Remember?!" Jak snapped, feeling his agitation returning. "If you kill yourself now, you're breaking the promise you made to me! You're taking the easy way out!"

Fionn lay quietly, letting Jak shout at him, not once attempting to fight back. He didn't flinch at Jak's harsh words, nor when Jak's fist connected into his cheekbone. He just remained still, looking like a mere rag doll. Eventually Jak had said all he could, and removed himself off Fionn, hoping now his companion would reconsider jumping. It took a few moments for Fionn to finally find his voice, and the words sent chills through Jak.

"What if I fail again, and you die? I cannot cope with another failure," he muttered monotonously. Jak growled under his breath, kneeling beside his friend again. He gripped Fionn's collar, pulling him up into a sitting position.

"I'd rather risk losing my life with you my by side, then having you recklessly throw your life away now for nothing. Even if you do jump to your death, it doesn't stop me dying now, does it? At least you can try to keep your promise," Jak mumbled, shoving Fionn roughly back to the ground. He felt slightly disgusted at Fionn's sudden urge to want to meet death, but realised that maybe it was in his culture to suicide if they failed. What a horrible culture that was then, he thought.

Brushing himself off, Jak turned his back to his comrade and spoke firmly, "Jump if you think it'll fix things. Or live to see another day. I thought you set out to find yourself again? Or isn't that important now, Fionn-Ro? Don't you want to remember who you are first, before you kill yourself? And what of the people who are waiting for your return?" After finishing all he had to say, Jak began to wander off towards the narrow edge acting as a path along the cliff face. He didn't wait for a response from Fionn, feeling himself losing concern over the man. He'd done what he could. He couldn't force Fionn to stay alive against the man's wishes.

Moving carefully up the narrow path, taking care to slide along the cliff wall with his back pressed firmly against it, Jak managed to reach the top of the cliff again. He stopped at the peak of the mountain to catch his breath, and heard a loud, mournful scream come from down below. So Fionn had jumped. "Damn idiot," Jak mumbled, feeling his stomach drop. His blood felt cold and empty feeling suddenly appeared in his heart. Knowing he'd tried to persuade his comrade to act otherwise, Jak chose to continue on, unable to stand hanging around the cliff any longer to dwell on it.

And so he set off into the forest again, finding a decent enough track to lead him through. He felt utterly alone now, the reality of it still failing to comprehend itself in Jak's mind. He knew Fionn had jumped; he was gone. The past days they'd spent together felt like some weird dream now, as if they were all just one constant hallucination. If he could go back in time, he would have refused Fionn's company. Maybe that way, he could have saved a life.

He travelled a few metres further, deeper into the forest before stopping abruptly. He could feel another's presence, and heard a twig behind snap. Before he had time to turn around, he felt a heavy weight rest gently against his back between his shoulder blades.

"I am so sorry, Jak…forgive me?" Jak's eyes widened at Fionn's words, and he turned his head around, reassuring himself this was not some illusion. Fionn stood directly behind him, forehead resting against his back. "You are right…I am a 'damn idiot'."

"Fionn? I thought you'd…didn't you jump?" Jak asked in partial disbelief, turning himself completely around. Fionn lifted his head, and gave Jak a sad, distant look.

"The forest told me my death would be premature. They told me jumping would only make things worse," Fionn replied in an almost whisper, and Jak sighed loudly; just relieved his idiot companion was still alive and breathing.

"So you listen to a bunch of trees, but not your friend, huh?" he joked in utter relief, and Fionn's eyes widened, realising this himself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Jak! It's not like that…I had decided not to jump after you left, but the trees assured my decision was correct," he tried to explain, but Jak just brushed him aside, pulling him in for a brief, friendly hug. Releasing the other elf, Jak carried on down the trail without another word, Fionn following in silence behind. Inside, Jak's heart was bubbling with joy; he wasn't sure why Fionn had such an affect on him, but realised that he quite liked it. The older man's company was enough to keep him around, but for some odd reason, he was growing accustomed to his hourly apologies, frightened whimpers and overall clumsy, childish behaviour. Fionn made this whole journey bearable, regardless of what it appeared like.

"You know, your fist really hurt," Fionn complained after a while of trekking through the roughly cut forest path, "it stills stings." Lifting a hand to rest gently against his semi-swollen cheek, Fionn sighed quietly, arising a snicker from the blonde leading the way.

"Well, someone needed to knock some sense into you!" Jak said loudly, sweeping past a broken tree stump in the middle of the path.

"Hai," Fionn replied softly in defeat, and Jak halted in his tracks, spinning around.

"What was that?"

"Um…yes?" Fionn responded in alarm, but Jak shook his head, raising an eyebrow at him.

"No, you didn't say 'yes'. Tell me what you said!" he demanded in a friendly tone, but still Fionn remained looking quite confused.

"Didn't I say 'yes'? I could've sworn-"

"Unless my hearing's going, you did not say 'yes'," Jak murmured.

"I don't see how this really matters Jak, but I-"

"Wait a minute! Maybe…maybe you know another language? And you've just remembered a word!" Jak exclaimed, prodding a finger in the other elf's chest. Fionn took a step back, eyes darting nervously around him, feeling uncomfortable with this sudden attention. "Yes, that has to be it! Now, tell me what you said, and we can assume it means yes," Jak finished, but Fionn just stayed silent, a blush beginning to spread across his pale cheeks.

"I cannot remember…please forgive me," he said weakly, bowing his head in apology. At this, Jak began laughing loudly, snatching Fionn in a headlock and messing up his hair.

"You and your damn apologies!" he snapped, grinding his knuckles into Fionn's scalp, earning him a startled cry from said man. Struggling to free himself from Jak's assault, Fionn collapsed to his knees, cowering away from the younger elf. Dropping into a crouch beside him, Jak nudged him lightly in the shoulder, grinning warmly. "You need to lighten up sometimes, Fionn-Ro. All this seriousness and apologies will only drive you over the edge. Or worse, into a grouch, and trust me, you don't wanna go there," Jak said, thinking of Torn at his last statement.

Fionn forced out a small smile, and got back to his feet, wiping his knees free from earth and dead leaves. "I understand your reasoning Jak, and I shall try to…uh… 'lighten up'," Fionn muttered, brushing his fingers through silver hair, tidying up Jak's damage. Feeling satisfied, Jak turned back around, once again leading the way through the forest.

The time seemed to fly by after that, and eventually the duo spotted a creek ahead, with a sign signifying a resting area. Approaching the creek, Jak bent over and gazed into the glistening, clear water trickling serenely across the rocks. He felt the urge to take a dip, just to ease himself, if only just for a few minutes. 'This water will do you good,' Light Jak whispered, his voice extremely weak in his mind. Jak could only just picture his fragile Light Ego, and sighed aloud, agreeing with him.

"Hey Fi! FI! Over here!" Jak shouted, waving at the other man from a little distance away. Rushing over to his comrade, Fionn looked down into the chilly looking water, and shuddered. "I'm thinking of taking a quick dip. My muscles are really aching, besides, I haven't bathed in a while," Jak murmured, glancing across the slow moving creek to a deeper section near the other side. The deeper part looked similar to a rock pool, surrounded by rocks save for two little gaps, letting the water pass through.

"Do you think it's safe?" Fionn asked, watching as Jak placed the tips of his fingers into the water, testing the temperature. Pulling his digits from the cold water, he pointed at the sign nearby.

"Sign says it's safe," he muttered, unstrapping his gun and belts. Fionn said nothing as Jak stripped down, and seemed preoccupied as he gazed down the creek into the distance. "Geez, it's freezing!" Jak hissed, wading across the waist deep water to reach the deeper area. Fionn shot his head around, spotting Jak on the far side of the stream, only his head and neck visible. "Keep a look out Fi!"

Obeying Jak's orders, Fionn slipped quietly to the ground, eyes locked onto the forest around them. He seemed alert, aware of his surroundings while Jak quickly cleaned himself from grime, eco, sweat and blood.

'Damn it's freezing, but quite soothing,' Jak thought, lifting his hands to the surface of the water and bringing them up slowly, palms first. The water that had collected in his palms trickled out of his hands evenly, dripping softly back into the pool. Taking a long breath, Jak plunged his head beneath the surface, eyes shut tight. It felt like a thousands knives stabbing him in the face, and he gasped, letting out huge bubbles which drifted peacefully to the surface.

Quickly scrubbing at his blonde hair, Jak resurfaced, taking in a well-needed breath. He coughed a couple of times, and spun around, locating Fionn dead alert on the opposite bank, looking much like a watch dog. "Hey Fionn! Are you up for a dip?" he called, catching his comrade's attention.

"I uh…"

"Come on! Don't tell me you're a wuss!"

"I thought that was obvious already!" he shouted back, but Jak merely laughed in amusement, wading back across the creek. Fionn turned away as Jak clambered out of the water, giving his friend privacy to dress. Once dressed, Jak returned to Fionn's side, pointing out across the creek.

"You should take a break, Fi. It'll do you some good," Jak suggested, before shaking his head, removing some of the excess water from his hair. Fionn gave a quiet sigh of defeat, inching his way over to the edge of the stream. Beneath the water he spotted the ground littered with small pebbles, smooth and round.

Jak, noticing Fionn to be feeling the water's temperature, seated himself on the creek bank, fighting the urge to just push the other in. He was glad his comrade had considered going in after their long trek up the mountain forest. So, lying back against the soil and leaves, Jak rested his head against his arms, looking up at the canopy above. He could just see the rich, blue sky through the leaves, and knew he'd feel grateful once they were out in the open again.

Off to Jak's side, Fionn was carefully stripping down, cautious with his actions while timidly glancing in his comrade's direction now and again. Once the blonde heard the sound of water splashing, he gazed over to see Fionn, his back turned while he washed his arms and shoulders clean.

It was something Jak wasn't expecting, but he sat up, eyes squinting at the older elf's pale back. On the whitened skin, lay many scars, each a different length, width and depth. It was most unusual, and Jak began to wonder where exactly this man had obtained them all since Fionn didn't seem like the one to fight. Staring in curiosity, Jak failed to notice Fionn's head whip around, until a firm, yet softened voice broke his trail of thought.

"Is there something wrong, Jak?" Fionn asked, quirking an eyebrow while he turned around completely. Jak shook his head, squinting his eyes shut to erase the image before him.

"No…I was just…your back, Fionn. Where did you get those scars?" Jak asked, and Fionn's eyes widened at the query. The older elf began twisting his body and head around, hoping to see these scars Jak was speaking of.

"I do not know. I wasn't aware I had any on my back," Fionn replied honestly, giving up on seeing the old wounds scarring his flesh. "My caretaker never spoke of such scars."

Jak looked away, resting his chin in his left hand in thought. Judging by the quantity of scarred flesh, Fionn must have been in a serious fight at some point. "If it bothers you, I can get out," the older elf offered suddenly, but Jak dismissed that notion with a shake of his head.

"It doesn't bother me. I'm just curious. So you don't remember how you got them?" Fionn closed his eyes, sinking into the water until only his head and neck were visible.

"I do not," he replied quietly, before disappearing altogether. It took a few moments for the man to re-emerge, water dripping freely from his face and hair. Brushing the silver locks away from his eyes, he reached behind his head, undoing the small, black ribbon holding his plaits in place. Jak watched as Fionn's two plaits were pulled apart, noticing the hair that had previously been braided was longer than the rest of it. Averting his eyes, Jak looked back into the forest and kept a solid watch for predators.

Silence grew among them from then on, and it wasn't long before Fionn had removed himself from the creek. He dressed quickly and silently before tidying up his hair and untangling the knots. "We should leave now," he offered once done, and Jak stood up, looking up at Fionn. The older man's face was blank, but his eyes looked dark, as if burning with hidden anger.

"Right, well let's go," Jak replied, before leading the way through the surrounding trees, the sound of the running creek growing fainter and fainter. They reached the path relatively quickly, and began following it back down the mountain. Spending the next half hour trekking through the bush, Jak's mind trailed back to the look Fionn had given him earlier. He wasn't sure what was on his comrade's mind, and a part of him felt at unease. This sudden mood swing was probably the worst yet.

'Do not hold it against him,' Light whispered, his frail cold hand brushing over Jak's. 'Hold it against who?' Jak asked quietly, and Light closed his eyes calmly. 'The one whom you're traveling with. His life is clouded, his memories are lost, his purpose is hidden. From whence those scars came, he is fighting a mental battle. He is unable to determine his own wounds, unable to remember the battle that scarred his flesh so. Treat him with caution,' Light finished, fading back into the darkness like mist dissipating. 'Thanks for the advice,' Jak mumbled into complete darkness, before feeling his physical body being pulled back in haste.

"JAK! NO!" he heard someone scream, and looked ahead of him, eyes widening in shock and fear. About twenty metres down the path, stood a huge metal head, eyes locked onto them, its teeth bared. "What do we do," Fionn whispered in fright, clutching onto Jak's left forearm, claw like nails digging into his skin. Jak fought off the urge to shake the other elf off, and stood rigid, sizing the beast up. If they worked together, they'd have a chance to bring it down.

"Do you have a weapon?" Jak asked in a low mutter, keeping his eyes on his target. Fionn shook his head, his grip tightening.

"No! I've never needed one!" Fionn responded, inching his way slowly backwards, pulling Jak along with him. Jak tried to stand his ground though, and shook his left arm, feeling Fionn's grip slacken slightly.

"Why haven't you needed one?" Jak muttered, his mind racing for a tactic, a strategy…anything, to kill this thing.

"Nothing has harmed me once! They keep away! Jak, I'm scared!" Gritting his teeth, Jak pulled out his morph gun, setting it to blaster and forcing it into Fionn's shaking hands.

"Take this and shoot. Whatever you do, don't run. It'll most likely target you. Got it?" Jak asked, not really waiting for an answer as he whipped out his dagger, hands clutching the hilt firmly. He heard Fionn whimper behind him while positioning the morph gun in his trembling hands, before breaking into a run towards the metal head. The large beast before him screeched out, raising its head high, baring razer sharp fangs.

Keeping up his resolve, Jak approached the metal head, aiming for one of its thighs. The beast, from the way it stood, ran on its two hind legs, so if Jak could only get in close enough to tear a tendon or two in its upper thigh, they'd have the advantage.

From behind he could hear Fionn shooting, and felt the metal head shift rapidly as the bullets grazed past its hide. Taking the opportunity, Jak swiftly avoided the beast's long tail while it whipped about, and positioned his dagger ready. It took only one well-timed leap to strike the dagger into the tough skin, breaking through it and piercing the muscles. The metal head screeched in pain, not only trying to fend of Fionn's bullets but now thrashing its tail towards Jak, who was dangling from his dagger wedged inside the beast's leg. It thrust its head back, letting out a roar of suffering, giving Jak the perfect opportunity to make a run for it. Ripping out his bloody dagger, he landed hard on the ground, sprinting back towards Fionn.

"RUN!" Jak ordered loudly, trying to keep the calm in his voice. As the two rushed through the forest, leaving the path behind them, they heard the metal head's legs thumping in pursuit. "FASTER!" Jak cried, and he felt Fionn's hand clasp around his wrist, pulling him hard. From then on, Fionn led the way, pulling Jak quickly through the maze of trees and bushes.

When at last them came to a stop to catch their breath, Jak gave out a sigh of relief. "It seems we've lost it…thanks Fi," Jak panted, and Fionn gave him a weak smile, panting just as hard as Jak. They remained silent, calming themselves down while resting their sore legs. Fionn was having a particularly hard time easing the pain, and slunk to the ground, quivering.

"At least it's gone…usually I could have killed it easily, but my bullet supply is almost down, and so is my Dark eco, not to mention my Light eco supply is out. And…I don't think Wolf could have slain it himself…" Jak muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. Sitting down himself, Jak glanced over at Fionn. The man was severely trembling, clutching at his legs with whitened hands. "You need your own weapon, Fionn. How about in the next town, we find you one."

"I do not like to kill. Death is suffering. Nothing has ever harmed me before…why they choose to harm me now," he replied in a gentle whisper. Jak growled under his breath, pointing out that it was a miracle nothing had harmed him thus far, wandering around the wilderness alone and unarmed.

"Consider yourself lucky," he murmured, picking dead leaves off his shoe. Fionn nodded his head once, and agreed to purchase a weapon at the next chance they got.

"Ok, let's go before that thing tracks us," Jak said finally, hauling himself off the ground. He looked down to his comrade, and felt his heart speed up at Fionn's horrified expression.

"T-too…l-late…" were Fionn's words before it all registered in Jak's mind.

Corad: Man, cliffhangers suck...
Sharok: Then why do you leave them?
Corad: Coz I'm a cliff-a-holic D: I need my cliff-a-hol ): So, poor Jak is getting pursued yet again by something that wishes him dead. And Fionn is...well, the usual for master Klutz. Or, as he'd like to put it, Klutz Sensei XD
Sharok: You're an idiot -.-'
Corad: Ah, so you finally noticed, eh? Took ya long enough.
Sharok: No, I've known since I was born into this world...and just to remind you, I call you an idiot in pretty much every chapter update.
Corad: True, true...but yeah, where was I? Ah yes...man, cliffhangers suck. I know I probably said this last time, but I'll try and update soon. Now that I'm getting sucked into the Jak games again, hopefully not literally, I'll get the much needed inspiration to write more. Tried writing more of this the other day, and got lost coz I forgot what happened thus far in Jak and Daxter, Jak 2, Jak3, Jak X, Daxter, COTW and this start of this...so um...I gotta revise :D Ah well, at least I still got my muse (gets Sharok in headlock and ruffles his hair up) Yep, good old Musie wusie...
Sharok: Is anyone else other than me embarassed here...?