The Dark Warriors

IV. Nostalgia

Deitonin sighed as he left the Naughty Ottsel, he found himself looking up at the ruins that were the Baron's Palace. Nostalgia gnawed at his insides as he looked at the single pillar that remained standing after so much...

---DEAD TOWN---

"DEITONIN! THE METAL HEADS ARE ATTACKING!!" Baron Praxis cried as Metal Heads flooded in through the break in the wall, "KILL THEM ALL!"

Deitonin stepped out in front of the Baron as he raised his claymore, "Their deaths shall harbor in a time of great silence..."

"STOP TALKING NONSENSE AND KILL THEM!"

He swung his sword and eight Metal Heads fell, dark blood spilling across the ground as their entrails slopped out of their bodies in bloody coils. Deitonin surged forward as more converged on them, killing them left and right.

Ten...

Twenty...

Fifty...

Two hundred...

The number grew as more flooded in, killing the Krimson Guard without mercy. Deitonin then heard a fierce roar in the distance, he looked up to see that Metal Head Leader, Kor, perched at the top of the wall. He looked down upon them with cruel eyes as his fangs clicked together.

'You who are from a different world...KILL THE BARON...'

Deitonin shuddered as his whole body went numb. He found himself yearning to see human blood...

Then he attacked.

TtttThe Baron caught Deitonin's blade with his own, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"Kor...he's controlling me..."

"Then you shall die with the Metal Heads!"

Deitonin twisted his Claymore around Praxis' and disarmed him, shattering his sword. The Baron paled as Deitonin pressed the tip of his sword against Praxis' throat, "Checkmate..."

He brought his sword up, cleaving the right side of the Baron's face, cutting out his eye.

The Baron screamed as he held his face, "HOW DARE YOU!!"

"Good bye, my Lord..."

---FLASHBACK OVER---

Deitonin came to his senses to see that he was sitting against the wall of the Naughty Ottsel, he got to his feet and wiped the sweat from his face. He grabbed a single seater Zoomer not too far away and rode to the Bazaar where he was forced to walk.

It's not that he hated to walk.

It's just that he felt like shit right now...

Pecker met him as soon as he entered Onin's tent, he stopped, "Whoa there Dei, what's wrong with you?"

He staggered past him and fell to his knees before Onin, she watched him with colorless eyes as he laid down, 'You're mind is clouded by hatred...' She said with her hands.

Deitonin sighed as he raised a trembling hand, 'Nostalgia gnaws at my insides...I passed out in the streets after seeing a vision...'

Onin reached out and touched his cheek as she continued to sign, 'My dearest Deitonin...You're trembling like a leaf.' He waved to Pecker, 'Pecker, please bring Deitonin a blanket and a pillow.'

"Ugh fine!" Pecker growled as he winged to the far side of the tent and came back and draped the blanket over him. Deitonin could barely raise his head as Pecker pushed the pillow under his head, "What are we going to do with this prick?"

'Ignore my feathered friend, he is always like this...'

Deitonin raised his hand, but couldn't form any signs before he lost consciousness...

-•-•-JAK'S POV-•-•-

Jak was worried about Deitonin, it was already sundown and he was looking for him with Daxter and Shadow. He wasn't out at the Pumping Station, or strolling around Dead Town, or even in Spargus!

Just then something clicked, Deitonin was going to return the artifacts to Onin! Jak turned the Zoomer around and sped off towards the Baazar. When they made it to Onin's Tent, Jak saw Pecker sitting on the roof hanging over the doorway.

"Oh! There you guys are! Thought you'd never show up!"

"Why?"

Pecker flew down to them, "Onin's been watching over your idiot friend for a couple hours now! Now get in there and drag him out!"

Jak peeked in to see Deitonn lying before Onin, his hulking form trembled as she touched him with glowing hands. Shadow burst into the tent, "D-Deitonin?!"

Onin raised her hands and his form slowly stopped trembling as she began signing her hands, "Onin says that your friend is not well, his mind has become clouded by the past. He must stay here while it passes-WAIT! WHAT?!"

Jak stepped forward, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Unfortanely, no."

"Oh."

Onin raised her hands, "Onin says that only time will tell if he can pull through the storm within himself..." Pecker said waving his wings about dramatically, "She keeps saying this mythical 'oooooooooo' crap."

Jak knelt down beside Deitonin and looked down at his pale face, "Oh Dei...please pull through this..."

"Getting sentimental are we?" Daxter asked, "I haven't seen you like this since the kid-"

The Ottsel was knocked off of Jak's shoulder as Deitonin swiped at him, he looked at Jak with crazed eyes, "They're coming..." His eyes flared up a bright green as he looked around, "V...Ve...Veg..."

"Vegetable?" Shadow asked transforming, Deitonin held his head as he pressed his face into his pillow, "Vegan? Vega?"

Deitonin shook his head as Shadow continued to name off V-words that started with "Veg", Daxter climbed back onto Jak's shoulder, "Veger?"

Deitonin let his hands fall as his whole body relaxed, Jak reached out and touched him, "Dei?" He asked shaking him gently.

He let out a deep moan as he raised his head, his eyes went back to normal as he took off his goggles, "Ugh...hey you guys..." A look of confusion entered his eyes, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jak reached out and patted Deitonin's head, "Welcome back Dei."

He took Jak's hand and kissed his palm, making chills go down his spine, "Good to be back..."

Just then Onin started signing again, purple smoke swirled around Deitonin's fingers as he signed back, "I feel a lot better," he said, "Thank you."

Jak looked down at the palm that Deitonin kissed as a blush warmed his cheeks, "Are you well enough to move?"

Deitonin slowly got to his feet, he paled as he stumbled, but regained his footing before he fell, "I-I'm fine..."

"Do you mind if I take him?"

Pecker frowned, "Onin says you can, but bring him back if he passes out again."

"I will."

"You better."