A small act of disobedience. A spreading, merciless poison. A young man who must venture miles across treacherous lands to an even more dangerous city just to find a cure for himself and his newfound friend. This is the story of Jak and Daxter, told new. A fanfiction loosely based on Naughty Dog's scrapped reboot of the series.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 19: Red in the Light
Taking one of the chairs by the fireplace, Tess turned it around, sat across from Torn, and started taking the rifle apart with practiced surety, its mechanisms clicking as she did so.
“So, who beat you up this time?”
Torn glared at her. “For your information, I took them out. One of their friends managed to land a shot while he was running away, though. Cowardly bastard. And this almost made it worth it.”
He took a bundle of papers from the collar of his black shirt, one of its parchment corners red.
Tess took it. She read the papers over, unflinching as the blood stained her hands. “Shipping manifests? We don’t need to know how much flour the Baron orders for his genocide celebration cakes.”
“Down at the bottom.”
Tess’ eyes widened. “That’s a lot of steel. And dark eco?”
“Barrels and barrels of it.”
“Precursors…” she returned the papers to him, put the rifle back, then took another to clean. “What could they possibly want with that?”
“Nothing good. But at least now we’ve got something new to investigate. Since Glowrend, things have been too damn quiet.” Torn paused to pick up the steaming cup on the tray Yasu had delivered and put it to his lips. “Thank Mar. She remembered the coffee this time.”
“Not a fan of tea?”
“No offense,” Torn took another hearty sip. “But fuck tea.”
Even Jak balled his hands into fists at those words.
Tess rolled her eyes over a smirk. “A northern boy to the bone, aren’t you?”
“Haven has a habit of making even piss taste sweet. Look at you. A sage’s sister turned gunsmith. Only a place like this could do something like that.”
“And yet you’d die for it,” she said, glancing at his shoulder again.
He shrugged. “Someone’s gotta make it less shitty."
Click the link above to read the whole chapter, or visit my Tumblr to learn more or find previous chapters!
writers will literally put out the most heart-wrenching and devastating piece of fiction that’s a million times better than the source and go haha hope you liked :)
writers will have a life changing event happen to them (married, natural disaster, accident etc etc) and then still manage to put out an incredible fic and go ‘sorry this was 0.394838373 seconds late guys :(‘
Absolutely Everything We Know About the Cancelled Jak 4/Reboot
Once again, this is another post on this blog that's not related to my fan-written reboot of the series, per se. But one of the goals I had in writing my version was to try to incorporate as many elements of what little concept art and interviews there are about the real one Naughty Dog worked on, and so I became a little bit of an unofficial expert on the matter because of that.
This post will cover not only a timeline of how the Jak 4/reboot efforts at Naughty Dog all went down according to what we know for sure with sources where useful, but also some parts at the end where I speculate generally what they might have been aiming for (and what is speculation on my part will be clearly marked). I will also include links/embeds to every single instance of the art we know was made for it, as currently a lot of it is scattered across the internet.
The Facts:
An Uncharted Frontier:
It was the beginning of the shift of the PS2 into PS3 era. Naughty Dog was not only contending with a hard transition between generations due to the PS3's notoriously hard-to-develop-for reputation in its early years, but they also had just lost the original founders of the studio, Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin.
At the time, Naughty Dog had ideas for a game that would take place chronologically after Jak 3 and Jak X, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. They even had created a few levels, cinematics, and a tech demo, and it was Neil Druckmann's - a well-known name in the industry nowadays - first foray into the design side of things after having worked on smaller tasks for earlier Jak games. It apparently was a fun project, according to Travis McIntosh, who worked there at the time, but something came along and killed the project: Uncharted (2).
In summary, in order to get Uncharted going, they needed people from the Jak PSP team to finish it, and so The Lost Frontier project was shelved until another developer, High Impact Games, took it over. The game released in 2009 to mixed critic reviews and neutral to poor audience reviews, and even some folk at Naughty Dog themselves were disappointed with how it turned out, with quotes like, "I’m not happy with that being Jak’s swan song. I think we could have done a lot better” (2).
However, given how difficult Uncharted's development was, I - and certainly most people - don't blame them for having released the burden of the game off their shoulders to focus on Uncharted, and it all turned out well for them in the end, given Uncharted's success.
Since then, there has never been another new Jak game released. However, there was an attempt by Naughty Dog to do so, which leads us to the next chapter of this story...
The First of Us
After toiling over Uncharted and Uncharted 2 to great success (well-deserved after those years of struggle), Naughty Dog decided to try another splitting of the teams in 2009-2010. One of the teams was led by Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann, who later created the critically-acclaimed The Last of Us. But their efforts on The Last of Us actually started as a sequel or potential reboot to Jak and Daxter.
This development brainstorm period for a continuation of Jak and Daxter was where all the concept art that trickled out to the internet over a span of years came from. Before we explore the art itself, let's delve a little into what Druckmann has said about it:
a. Though some of the concept art says 'Jak 4', according to a keynote speech Druckmann did on it (3), it was more like a reboot attempt, so it likely would not have continued the story of Jak and Daxter from The Lost Frontier, but reset the story and characters completely.
b. What they were passionate about - story-wise and concept-wise - was getting away from what Jak and Daxter was, in his words. And the main reason they were putting the Jak and Daxter name on it was more for marketing than anything else. They also feared that fans of the franchise would not be fond of it.
So they shelved Jak and Daxter once again, and since then - as far as we know - have not tried any other attempts to revitalize the series.
The Art
This is my favorite part: the art. I've been in the Jak and Daxter fandom for many years, so I've witnessed the general reaction to the art that was released for the reboot. Long story short: not good, at least as far as the character designs go. Many fans I've seen discuss it cite reasons such as that it strays too far from the Eastern x Western animation mishmash look of the original games, it's far too realistic, even all the way to that Jak looks, well... creepy?
Okay, maybe Jak is channeling a little bit of that game dev crunch dark circle and eyebag energy.
So, I generally understand that I'm in the minority when I say, for the love of all that is holy, damn do I love the reboot concept art. I'd have wholeheartedly played a J&D game that looked like this, and that was written by the same minds behind The Last of Us, and forever will feel a little bittersweet about it all when I think about what could have been.
In the speculation part of this post, I will delve into why I love the art and how it inspired me to write an unofficial reboot, and why I think it continues the spirit of the original games' design, just not in the exact same way. Granted, I have never studied art and am pure trash at it (alas, my major/minor in college was Computer Science and English), so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Anyways, before we launch into the art, let me say this one last thing: we could have had a game, made by one of the best video game developers in history, based on one of the most beloved Sony franchises in history, hewn from concept art by a Disney artist (and/or other talented artists from the video game and film industries), and writing/direction from the guys who led The Last of Us' team... and people claim they wouldn't have liked it?
Anyways, here's the art. For larger sizes, please click on the links underneath each piece.
Andrew Kim's Concepts:
(https://www.artstation.com/andrewkimart):
Andrew Kim is an artist who has worked on properties such as Uncharted, God of War, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America, Ant-Man, and Mulan (2020). Back in 2010 or so, he made a few gorgeous environmental concept art pieces for Jak and Daxter, which are as follows:
There is one other piece of art by Andrew Kim that was never confirmed for sure to be Jak and Daxter art, but given the style and that it was dated the same year (2010), many have speculated that it is:
(Unfortunately, I do not have a source for a larger version of this one, as Andrew Kim's site is currently down and he did not post this on his ArtStation - if it's back up later, I will link it here).
Craig Elliott's Concepts:
(https://www.craigelliottgallery.com/)
Craig Elliott is an artist that has worked on far too many properties for me to list here, but in relevance to Jak and Daxter having been originally inspired by Western animation partially, he's worked on The Legend of Korra, Treasure Planet, Princess and the Frog, Mulan (1998), Tangled, Hercules, and The Emperor's New Groove.
These are the most well-known pieces from the cancelled reboot, mainly the landscapes, but also the majority of the character concepts. James has worked on IPs like Titanfall, Tomb Raider, Thor, Guild Wars, Uncharted, The Last of Us, and the Maze Runner. These are absolutely breathtaking.
There is some other concept art out there that I - forgive me, artists - cannot find for certain who drew. They may have been by in-house artists? Some of it is in the Art of Naughty Dog book, and there are others that were only seen at the keynote speech Neil Druckmann gave that I mentioned that are, unfortunately, low quality since full versions were never released. I will try to post as clear of images as I can. Let's cross our fingers Naughty Dog releases all of the Jak reboot concepts some day; I'd definitely buy a copy of all of the art!
These are the clearest ones from the Art of Naughty Dog book, which feature a few of James Paick's concepts we saw earlier:
If anyone knows of any art I've missed, please let me know and I will add it to this post.
A World of Pure Speculation:
A lot of this section is purely me throwing darts at a board to guess what they were aiming for with these concepts. A lot of what I've written in my fan reboot has been based on these speculations, tying concepts and hints from interviews together into a story that still honors the originals as much as possible, so a lot of the following is from me having poured over and trying to piece these concepts together for hours on end over the past few years while also taking into consideration the general feel of modern Naughty Dog games like Uncharted and TLOU.
So in summary, my guess is, in short:
The Jak and Daxter reboot would have been an open world with linear elements platformer with gunplay, though it was undecided whether or not it would have had a lush or dingy, dystopian environmental tone. The graphical style would have been more realistic than the original series not only to take advantage of the PS3's power, but also to make use of the skills of the team they'd built while making the Uncharted games, which also were far more realistic than the original Jak and Daxter series.
The story would have been more gritty and realistic tonally, perhaps enough to the point that Daxter wouldn't have been able to talk (4), either because a talking animal wouldn't have seemingly worked in a serious story, or - because of citing influences like Ico - they may have wanted to integrate gameplay centrally using a character that can't speak. As for plot points, as far as I know neither Druckmann or Straley have ever mentioned any, but some can be construed from the concepts.
Many of the elements of the series would likely have been retained, however, including the Precursors, zoomers, the Wasteland, guns, abandoned ruins to explore, and the central friendship of Jak and Daxter.
My guess, in longer, more rambling format:
a. Based on the back cover blurb, they struggled deciding between a lush world more like The Precursor Legacy, and a more dystopian world like Jak II+. I think the Andrew Kim and James Paick environmental concepts were for the former direction, and the grayscale sketches Craig Elliott made were for the latter.
b. I think there were many versions of Haven City they were considering, though there are two that seem to have been focused on more:
The Craig Elliott Haven City would have been cramped, full of pipes that (according to his description on ArtStation) would have needed to have been navigated around on a zoomer. It looks much more industrial revolution in a dirty, claustrophobic way, with hints of other cultures peeking in with the adobe design with pipes for structural integrity instead of wood. There would have been a constant steam frothing about the smoggy city, and given the verticality, as a writer I am drawn to themes like class stratification, dystopia, and perhaps even an environmental theme like that touched on in The Lost Frontier.
The James Paick Haven City is harder to pin down - it looks far more steampunk+epic fantasy in one iteration, with the white stone and orange tile buildings with large cogs, and the city in the other iteration looks more sci-fi. For reference:
This could have been the steampunk version:
And the background of the case could have been the sci-fi version:
The three other designs for cities could have been the one in Kim's art, and the two others on the mock case back cover, one looking like a castle in a lush valley on a hill, the other sitting condensed on an arch (which gives me Solitude from Skyrim vibes).
c. I believe the Precursors - or an ancient, far more advanced alien race of some kind - still would have played a part. My hunch is based on two things: one, the art in James Paick's version looks like two civilizations put together, one that uses the tell-tale brass hued metal and a far more technologically advanced feel (AKA Precursors), and over the top of it, a more medieval, stonework based society (AKA Jak's race). If they continued the worldbuilding concepts from the original series, it's likely that Jak's society would have been built on the ruins of Precursor structures, achieving that same feel of an older but advanced architecture blended with a newer but more rudimentary one.
Additionally, I think the blue creatures with their own separate pieces in the art book would have been the Precursors:
This is simply a hunch, however, given the shape of the faces of the blue creatures. They remind me of the Precursor robots and oracles in the original series, with the large, round eyes, tall heads, and the open, circular, tube-like mouth. So - given their alien, but organic appearance - I don't think they would have turned out to be ottsels in this reboot.
d. I think exploring Precursor ruins would have been a central level design element. Many of the images on the back cover of the mock case and in Druckmann's keynotes speech look like Jak and Daxter are wandering within what looks like large machinery.
e. There likely would have been more races than just the Precursors and Jak's race, given the alien concepts in the art book. Which tells me they may have been going for an even more sci-fi vibe than the original series. Perhaps, given Craig Elliott's involvement, we could have seen something akin to Disney's Treasure Planet in this area?
f. I think the Wasteland of Jak II and 3 would have remained, given these images (once again, apologies for the fuzzy quality):
This looks like a canyon-like area, which gives me Wasteland vibes. They perhaps could have incorporated it as an element of environmental storytelling that expands on themes of industrialization and environmental destruction.
g. It seems underwater levels were considered, too:
h. This is wholesome as hell. And also there likely would have been a grappling hook crossbow gameplay element. That is all:
i. Unfortunately, I'm at the allowed limit for images in this post, but in the same Druckmann keynotes images earlier (and Druckmann himself pointed it out in the video), there is one concept of Jak and Daxter fishing together. So far as I can tell, this is the only concept that speaks of a character relationship of any sort in the reboot. Perhaps it was a callback to the minigame in The Precursor Legacy, or would have featured a scene of the two bonding?
j. In the concepts in the Art Book, there is a scene of Jak facing giant mechs that don't look like they're of Precursor make, but feel similar. Perhaps there was an element of his society reverse-engineering and making new weaponry based off of what the Precursors had made that could have played a role in the story? There are also what look to be biplanes, hinting that his society has achieved an early level of flight.
k. In the same art mentioned above, there is a woman that looks to be wearing maybe Victorian era military attire (anyone who can confirm/deny that, please do) pulling out a pistol. This may hint at an intention to retain the steampunk genre elements of the original series, given the design. It is purely my hunch that, despite her not resembling this character in any way from the original series, this may have been a rebooted Ashelin Praxis, given her military role. Or it could have been a new character.
l. In that same page next to the military woman, there is an image of a large beetle, a creek, and some figures potentially fishing in it. On the rock to the right is what I surmise is Jak, given the yellow hair, red cowl, and blue outfit, with a net in hand. Perhaps he had come from a society that existed more simply than the Haven society shown in other pictures? And there is no Daxter on his shoulder, so it may be that this reboot would not have had them start out as friends. A core central concept may have been them meeting and becoming friends, an element we see implemented in The Last of Us with Joel and Ellie (albeit in a more parental than best friend or brother-like way).
m. I realize now that I didn't talk much about the character concepts. As I said before, I think they're all great for different reasons. My favorite is the one of Jak with the sleeveless blue shirt with a slightly more stylized look, on the main page in the art book. But I like the ideas from the James Paick art, such as the reintroduction of Jak's eco ring on his chest in the green background piece, and what looks to be mechanical parts or prosthetic legs in that same one and others. Jak may have ended up a cyborg of some sort?
n. In the Andrew Kim art, it looks like racing may have made a comeback, not on zoomers but on giant cogs through glass pipes. This may have been a rebooted version of the Precursor Subrail system we saw in Jak 3. There may have been a level where the race is interrupted by a Precursor mech attack. The other piece also looks like a rebooted hoverboard of sorts.
Conclusion:
I did promise I'd touch on why I love this art, didn't I? Well, long story short: I just do. I acknowledge that especially most of the character concepts lean farther into realism, or at the very least, a Western animation feel than the original series' blend of Eastern and Western animation influences, due to the hiring of an artist like Craig Elliott, who worked on many beloved Disney properties.
However, especially with the design of Jak in the sleeveless blue shirt, I honestly see an Eastern influence there, but more of a Japanese game influence specifically. In my opinion, the belts and straps and general feel of that design reminds me of work by Tetsuya Nomura of Square Enix, namely his concepts of Cloud Strife from FFVII.
Additionally, some of the Daxter concepts look like a red panda, and one of the Andrew Kim environment concepts look like the foliage could be inspired by tropical rainforest/jungles of Asia. So I think it may have turned out to still have had Eastern influence, maybe just not manga/anime specifically.
If anything else, I trust that Naughty Dog would have only made changes if they were necessary to support the core story, characters, and themes, so though it may have been a small voyage away from what the original series was, I think it would have turned out just fine. And most importantly of all: the original series does and always will exist. If you prefer the cartoony look of the original series, a reboot with more realism like this one was aiming for doesn't detract from that.
There may be more I add to this post later, but for now, that's all I can think of. I'll update it if anything more ever pops up. I'm curious to hear people's thoughts on these in-depth! Thanks for taking the time to read, and here's to hoping Naughty Dog does consider revisiting a reboot for Jak and Daxter some day.
If you're interested in reading my fan reboot that takes concepts from what I explored above and the original series in the format of an adult fantasy novel, here is a link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13883211/chapters/31943220
Sources:
1. https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/jak-and-daxter-the-lost-frontier
For those people who can't find the Jak and Daxter 30 Day Challenge (like myself)
I just went through and found all the days and put it together myself.
1. How did you discover Jak and Daxter?
2. Which game is your favorite?
3. Which is your least favorite game?
4. Who is your favorite character?
5. Who is your least favorite character?
6. What mission do you love most?
7. What mission do you hate most?
8. Who is your favorite couple?
9. What is your favorite weapon?
10. Do you believe Jak is the Mar?
11. Which eco is your favorite?
12. Who is your favorite Precursor?
13. Who is your favorite citizen?
14. Do you like The Lost Frontier?
15. What’s your preferred Wasteland vehicle?
16. How often do you use the hoverboard?
17. Dark Jak or Light Jak?
18. What is your favorite location?
19. Ever collected all orbs in Jak II or Jak 3?
20. Which moment shocked you most?
21. Which opening / ending is your favorite?
22. What are your favorite quotes?
23. Toughest / easiest boss battle?
24. Ever just go on a KG killing spree?
25. Favorite Jak and Daxter fanart?
26. Who is your favorite sage?
27. What is your favorite secret?
28. Do you like Jak X: Combat racing?
29. Would you like to see another game?
30. Have any unanswered questions?
(I don't typically do posts unrelated to writing or JDRebooted but I thought since, hey, this looks fun, why not?)
How did you discover Jak and Daxter? I was gifted a PS2 and The Precursor Legacy as a kid one Christmas. I think maybe it was even the first PS2 game I ever played? I fell in love, played the rest of the series, and have loved the games regularly ever since.
Which game is your favorite? They've all got their merits, but as someone that values story in video games, I'd say Jak II.
Which is your least favorite game? Assuming we're not counting the TLF spinoff, this is a really hard question to answer. I guess I would say it's a tie between TPL and Jak X, but those are both still really damn good games for different reasons.
Who is your favorite character? Probably Jak. For side characters, I'd say Sig, Damas, or Ashelin.
Who is your least favorite character? Hoo boy, uh... no one please bring out any torches or pitchforks, but Pecker is just a less funny and endearing Daxter to me, so I guess I'd say him?
What mission do you love most? Either the monk glider mission in Jak 3, the Forest Temple in Jak 2, or Mar's Tomb in Jak 2.
What mission do you hate most? You know it. It is the mission that must not be named. It has docks, a seal, and pain.
Who is your favorite couple? None of them really felt fleshed out enough to me, but I'd say Jak and Keira.
What is your favorite weapon? I like the Peace Maker. If we're talking Jak 3 guns, probably the Arc Wielder.
Do you believe Jak is the Mar? I think it's a toss-up, leaning that he is THE Mar, but there's not enough conclusive evidence to point one way or the other.
Which eco is your favorite? Either dark, light, or blue. Probably dark eco because of its importance in the storyline and Jak's character arc.
Who is your favorite Precursor? The Ottsel Leader. My man.
Who is your favorite citizen? Like, random NPC? I love the Krimzon Guard, actually - when you sneak up on them and overhear their conversations, especially in Jak 2, it's always a hoot.
Do you like The Lost Frontier? I respect the effort that went into making it, and I like some of the concepts, like eco running out and sky pirates. But the execution? :|
What's your preferred Wasteland vehicle? Anyone who says anything other than the Dune Hopper is lying.
How often do you use the hoverboard? All the time, even in Jak 3 in the Wasteland.
Dark Jak or Light Jak? I like Dark Jak better in how it was utilized in gameplay, but I like the concept of Light Jak better. Both are cool, though.
What is your favorite location?
TPL: Lost Precursor City
Jak II: The palace support beam when you cross it and can see all of Haven and the surrounding areas below.
Jak 3: Damas' throne room and the Sewers simply for the soundtrack.
Ever collected all orbs in Jak II or Jak 3? Nope.
Which moment shocked you most? Definitely the Precursor reveal in 3.
Which opening / ending is your favorite? Best opening, Jak X, and ending is Jak II's.
What are your favorite quotes? "For every age, there is a time of trial: The rocks faced such a fire before they were the strength beneath our feet; The plants braved vast winds before their roots could give us life. As a sage of considerable years, I have known only one such great ordeal. Yet the hero it created was a champion for all time."
"Heroes think they can save the world, when they themselves are lost."
Also this exchange between Jak and Sig:
Sig: Let's just say, Damas lost a little something in the city and he wanted me to find it. What do you care, man? Haven folk are a bunch of weaklings, you know that! They already lost the war before it started. Luckily Damas has a plan to make sure we all survive.
Jak: You're playing with people's lives!
Sig: Why not? They played with mine. Survival of the fittest, baby. I suggest you get with the program, and be on the winning side.
Jak: And which side is that?
Sig: The one on top of the pile. Unfortunately, it's gonna be a big pile.
Toughest / easiest boss battle? Toughest, Kor. Easiest, Klaww.
Ever just go on a KG killing spree? No. Only because me driving full speed and then letting go of the zoomer before it hits anyone doesn't technically count, right?
Favorite Jak and Daxter fanart? Man, I... can I include like a whole folder here? No? I have a million, but here are a few I think of off the top of my head right now: https://www.deviantart.com/c-clancy/art/Jak-317298650 https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/lucygart/676231804750102528?source=share
Who is your favorite sage? Good old grumpy Samos.
What is your favorite secret? Mirror world. I used to play with it on a lot when I was young.
Do you like Jak X: Combat racing? That game's opening is the best cutscene Naughty Dog has ever done, fight me.
Would you like to see another game? hides massive reboot fanfic N-no, of course not!
Have any unanswered questions? Yeah, why haven't Naughty Dog made more Jak? Do they not like my money?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 18: Despairing for Hope
The world shifted from vertical to horizontal. The mech toppled backwards, its body sending up a wave of water as it struck the ground. And Jak was left standing at the core, his whole frame on fire with new, radiating dark eco, every tendon molten, and every breath a scalding steam. Even his spit tasted of it. Of despair, akin to the air of the Wasteland over Haven’s walls at night, metallic, bitter, and sour, unable to tolerate life as it numbed his aching tongue.
But here he was. Alive. Not disintegrating. Jak tightened his fist to reassure himself of this fact. The prickle of fingernails into palm did so. Then he raised the same hand and stared at its form being enveloped but not destroyed by the violet energy.
The dark eco receded in a wave of nerve splitting ice, the absence of its hellfire making everything else suddenly cold. It snaked back from his extremities through his limbs, then curled up in his chest again, tired, its meal done.
Alive, he thought again. He’d channeled dark eco into his body once more and lived. True, when he shivered and peeked down at his wound beneath his shirt, it had grown twice the size it’d been before, but in the face of all he’d just survived, and the mech’s core shining intact and perfect for sale by his feet, even a misery like that became a miracle.
Click the link above to read the whole chapter, or visit my Tumblr to learn more or find previous chapters!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Damas had understood the Wasteland long before it became his grave. Perhaps that was why - try as it did to drag him beneath its dunes and leave him forgotten - he managed to survive it. His body, at least. His soul had been ripped out already, and as he carried himself like a tattered ghost over the blood red sands of morning, searching for shelter and water like a man denied rest and drink for as many centuries as the prior weeks had felt like, he wondered if it was time he prepare to see his son again.
It was then that he managed to muster enough strength to lift his head for the first time in days. Fire. The sight made his empty stomach churn. Out of spite, he dragged himself towards it, hoping to find someone he could choke out his story to between gasps of dying air. Then he would finally let himself give in, and become what he was always meant to be: a relic of a bygone era of heroes, left to gather dust.
Click the link above to read more!
(Note that this is not a part of my Jak and Daxter: The Rebooted Trilogy story, but since it's still Jak and Daxter related, readers of that story may enjoy this canon compliant oneshot of Damas I wrote).
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 17: Children of Mechs and Men
He furrowed his brows. Nothing said he had to accept her potentially strings-attached help, should she offer it. And what harm could it do for her to know only that he was looking for Gol and Maia? It wasn’t like he needed to tell her why.
“Gol and Maia?”
Ashelin flinched. "Them?”
“Are they bad?”
“They’re not heroes, that’s for sure.”
Jak raised a brow. “But they’re not bad bad, right?”
She made a disgusted grunt, then sat on one of the black marble seats of the stands, bun gleaming red as she pulled it out and rewove it, smoothing back hairs that had come loose during their racing. Through it all, she wore a grim expression.
He joined her, heartbeat quickening as he tried to unwind her last words. Daxter jumped from Jak’s shoulder and sat on the other side of him from Ashelin, wincing against the chilly breeze that brushed over the stadium walls. He withstood it for a few seconds, then retreated behind Jak's arm, shivering. Jak would have offered some green eco to help him warm up, but with Ashelin close by, he decided against it.
At their back and behind the stadium rose the middle pillar of Haven, a mountainous column of estates clustered between massive tree roots, their windows golden against the night. In front of where the three of them sat, past the dirty Slag district and its outer walls far below, stretched the ocean to the northeast, as endless in its blue as the Wasteland in the northwest was in lifeless brown.
Their winds clashed. During the day and early night, the sea reigned over Haven's air, but in the quiet hours after midnight, the Wasteland always lashed back, blasting away the light scent of salt with the tart tang of eco refineries aflame, dust that stung one's eyes, and beneath it, a smell Jak could only associate with the feeling of despair.
The Wasteland was made of a soil that had forgotten how to grow and change, after all, and was bitterly metallic, void of the earthy sweetness that the life and death of plants could bring.
Click the link above to read the whole chapter, or visit my Tumblr to learn more or find previous chapters!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 16: Learning Some Things
Jak emerged from the shadows with slow steps. Erol looked him over, expression changing from one of suspicion to disgust. His amber eyes especially lingered on Daxter, Jak’s clothes, his pistol, and his ears. Ashelin’s gaze, however, softened.
“State your business, leaf-ear.”
“Hey, want to watch who you say that around?” Ashelin grabbed at Erol’s gun arm and tried to pull it back. “And put that thing away.”
“You’re not like these ones, Ashelin.”
“He’s probably just here to practice, like us.” She turned to Jak. “I’m sorry, please ignore him.”
“Then why was he prowling about in the shadows? He wasn’t on a track. He was probably planning to rob us. Isn’t that right? Speak up!”
Erol’s pistol was up again. Before Jak could stop himself, a little flare of flame flickered in his chest where his eco wound was, and he blurted, “Point that gun somewhere else before your ass gets beaten twice tonight.”
As soon as the dark eco flush had come, it left. Jak snapped out of its influence and blinked blankly. Precursors, did I really just say that?
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 15: Heart of Shadow, Heart of Gold
Misty purple and black and twining angles of electricity billowed from his palm. As fear numbed his veins, the eco grew taller, and the thundering of his heart and clamminess of his skin increased.
He flicked his hand, trying to cut off the energy, but instead it lashed out, biting at his arm with pinprick jolts. The yellow eco crystal lamps above the mirror started to flicker and surge, and the glass bells around them shattered and their light went out, bathing everything in raining shards and a moment of darkness.
Jak stood horrified in the violet glow and shadows, his only companion his reflection in the cracking mirror.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 14: Lady Unne
It was then that Jak realized there was a fresh puncture in the slaver's arm, the injection site showing a peek of glowing red eco.
"I promised a sage-trained green channeler, and I don't underdeliver," the man said, taking out another pair of shackles from his long coat, easily ripping Jak's hands away with supernatural strength and clasping the shackles’ metal claws over Jak's wrists, their bite icy.
Daxter peeled himself from the ground and wobbled and walked towards them. He looked ready to leap up and attack, but the slaver followed Jak's worried gaze and smiled.
The slaver kicked Daxter as hard as he could, launching him, Daxter whining in pain. Then he booted him a second time, following to where Daxter landed, making sure to time it just as he tried to get up again.
Daxter limped to his paws and backed away, glancing at Jak in a sort of apology. Jak motioned his head for Daxter to just go. Daxter took one pawstep away. Then, the slaver pulled out a pistol.
Something cracked.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 13: Bombs, Princes, Cookies, and Letters
He held his breath when he realized what had suddenly blocked out the suns. The bowl floated above, cerulean veins glowing in rivers in its mythic underside. Beneath it sat the pillar districts, looking as if they rested on a nature-made mountainside under the bowl rather than the effort of thousands of people laying bricks and mortar over hundreds of years.
And there were gears and bits of machinery everywhere; massive constructs holding up what should have fallen long ago, like cyborg prosthetics embedded in the city's flesh, and glass tubes winding as immortal arteries around the city's stone heart, pumping with blue eco blood and people traveling on giant cogs.
They were no longer in a place of mortals reverent to a natural world. This was a bastion against the natural, built atop a steaming wound sundered in the planet’s crust, rising in defiance of earth, sky, time, and the gods themselves.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 12: The Past, The Future, The Now
After they finished eating, Sig sat on a stone and polished his gun staff with a cloth. He explained to Jak how to take care of a gun as he did so. Then, as he gave it one last wipe, staring at the grime on the cloth, Sig said, “I don’t mean to pry, but what kind of disease are you lookin’ to cure? Maybe I could point you in the right direction?”
Jak shrugged. “All I really need to know is where Gol and Maia are.”
“The Acheron twins,” Sig furrowed his brows, the leather of his gloves making a scrunching noise as he balled his hands into fists. “Kid, you might as well turn around and go home.”
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 11: Gods and Mortals
As they moved between the mosaic sections, Seem explained nothing, only asked him after each what he felt, to which he never gave an answer. To be honest, Jak did feel something :
Unimpressed.
From the depiction of Mar living and being well-loved on an island by his people, to him using his eco powers like a star in his hand against what Jak realized were Metal Heads, being bowed to by humans and Precursors alike, to building a city with grand walls, sitting in a large throne with a family about him, to defeating a mythically sized beast in a desert with loyal armies at his back, to…
Mar had a wound. It sat over his heart as a hole in his brass form, and he stood alone, one hand cupping it, his head drooped.
"Sad, is it not?"
"Did he get hurt in the battle?"
"In a way. Mar used too much light eco to defeat Kor, and it was growing out of control. The final blow he made to Kor left a scar across the entire Wasteland, but there was an even greater one sundered within."
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 10: Feeding the Beast
Without hesitation, he willed green eco to flicker from his hands. A subtle heat radiated out like a warming balm. Daxter, his eyes still shut, pawed out for it and, finding it in Jak’s palm, pulled the hand close and draped himself over it like a pillow. Jade light twined through his fur and the frost began to melt away. Jak waved the other hand over the top of him, hoping to bring his shivering down.
He grimaced as the rain and hail whipped his back, the green eco flailing and sputtering as he struggled to maintain concentration, but Daxter would be safe now, and at least Jak's hands felt warm.
Over time, Daxter’s fur dried, his shivers ceased, and he fell into an exhausted, twitchless sleep. And Jak, praying yet again to the Precursors as he also succumbed to slumber, green eco dying from bright lime to olive, then to a mere faint whisper, begged for a chance to wake up at least one more time.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Jak and Daxter: Legacy - Chapter 9: The Sage's New Clothes
He told himself it was because he simply hadn't cared, but deep down he knew it was because he cared too much.
After all, he could never hurt or disappoint and then lose someone if he held them at a distance. From afar, cracks and faults and ruin couldn't be seen. It was only up close that the light could reveal him for the broken little shadow that he was, stranded in the dark jungle of his mind, alone and reaching for connection but knowing that any he could grasp would always, inevitably, let go. It always had.
Jak grabbed at his cowl, pulling it away from his throat. He wanted to throw it in the water; to release its suddenly heavy and choking hold on him. But despite it being an irritating reminder of what he was - a cur of a boy whom no one had wanted - it was also his only tether to his past he could still hold onto.
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