//------------------------------// // Interlude: Changes // Story: Sons of Damas // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// From atop the repaired Precursor Glider that Keira had scrounged up after exploring the depths of the planet, Jak could see the entire Wasteland, from Spargus to Haven and everywhere between. Already, he could see the changes being made, and they filled him with hope for the future. In Haven, the damage the Metalheads had done to the Forest and the parts of the city nearest it were already being repaired, the acid pits converted to lakes with healthy plant life spawning all around. While Keira had yet to master her new Eco powers, their unlocking had increased her understanding of Eco flows, and she'd started constructing machines specifically to influence the flow of Eco inside the planet, in order to reverse the damage the war had done. Staring down at the grass and flowers actively spreading around Haven's walls, Jak couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered the look on Elder's face when he'd seen Keira flip a switch and turn a warped, twisted former hive into a massive fruit-bearing tree. It had been nearly as priceless as the look on Samos' face. In Spargus, the aqueducts had been completed, and water flowed through the city, making it sparkle like a jewel in the desert from above. Plant and animal life had gravitated to the paths of the aqueducts, drawn by the moisture to grow and slowly spread out, painting the brown desert green bit by bit. Boats had been built to both traverse the rivers of the city and patrol the sea it was built up against. The past seemed to be coming back, restoring the land to its former glory. Jak tilted in his flight, turning to overlook the parts of the desert that wasn't habitable before. The former Metalhead Nest was now an outpost and future mine, digging down for a source of metals and other things, and a way to dig upward through the mountain for another village once enough space was made. Seeing life thriving filled Jak with hope for the future. The Wasteland brigands had all been rounded up, and their former fortress was now a guard outpost, where patrols left to guard the desert dwellers from any still hostile wildlife as the land slowly came to life. The Monks' Temple was being repaired and restored, the damage from Errol's assault erased. Having finished his observations of the desert, Jak turned back towards Spargus. Although the new council that ruled over the two cities was run from Haven - simply because the computers they had there cut down on the sheer bulk of paperwork - Jak still felt more at home in Spargus. He shuttled back and forth between the cities when he had to, but despite being the heir to the throne of Haven, Spargus was the place he called home. Setting down just off the coast, Jak leapt to the shore and began to make his way through the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with the long staff he now carried to help him walk around until such time as he was fully recovered. Damas had made it for him, and it reacted to his returning Eco powers, allowing him to propel himself much greater distances than a pole vault would normally allow. Doing so was now part of his recovery, getting his muscles back into condition after pushing himself past his limits again. Back at Damas' tower, Jak saw Daxter and Tess sitting together up on the roof. Daxter had undergone special training with Elder and the other ottsels to gain more total control over his abilities and allow them to unlock more naturally. As such, he was now garbed in an initiate's robe...and a pair of blue shorts with a tail hole. Tess was now also an ottsel, somehow. Nobody would explain to Jak how it happened, only that it had something to do with Tess being exceptionally welcoming of Daxter after his first training session with Elder, and an unexpected Eco surge. Honestly, Jak was glad they weren't saying anymore, since he was pretty certain he didn't want to know. Inside the tower itself, Keira and Shining were poring over plans to start expanding the revitalization of the Wasteland, especially how best to bring an end to the sandstorms so that plant life could be spread far wider. The basic idea involved the application of Blue Eco via windmills, but the exact details and proper positioning of such things would likely take several years. Keira was determined to find a way to make it happen faster. While nothing had happened between her and Jak when she'd awoken to find him awake after his week long slumber, it had made her all the more determined to help Jak discharge any outstanding responsibilities to the world so that they could safely wed and start building their personal future. Jak was forced to admit, coming into the tower from behind Keira and seeing her so full of life and fire as she bent over the table of calculations, that he was growing more impatient for that time by the day himself. When he was spotted, Jak became the target of a pair of running embraces, one far more affectionate than the other, not that he minded. As he thought about everything that had happened, he realized that the past adventures had taken their toll...but at the same time, he was still ready for more. It wasn't enough to just save Haven and Spargus. He saved the whole world from the Dark Makers...but there were other threats, and more of the world to be seen, and probably saved at that. But as he lay back with one arm around Keira, he noticed Shining staring out the window at the night sky, glancing from one star to another, lost in thought...and realized that, when all else was said and done in this world, there was one more adventure that would await them all. When the world was stable and safe...he would go to Elder, and find out what Precursor tech could do as far as finding where Shining Armor came from...finding his home.