I don't know quite where this came from. I wrote it in 45 minutes late at night after a random thought sparked it...What happened to Alister's body?
So I turned out this little tear jerker...
Wind rustled the dried seed heads of the Fastoon dune grass. It grew quickly, and with no Lombax custodians to keep it at bay, it had colonised the city. To Ratchet, trying to focus on his sad task, the wind blowing through the grass sounded like sighing.
Ratchet was digging a grave. He had chosen a spot that looked as though it once had been a park. There were more trees and bushes than you normally saw on this dry, desert planet. It looked as though it had once been a spot of great beauty. It was more than fitting for what he had in mind.
He tossed the shovel up and clambered out of the deep hole, trying to take his mind off what he was about to do. He'd asked Clank not to be here. Despite all that they had gone through, this was something he needed to do alone.
Next to the deep, sad pit, the body of Alister Azimuth, elder and General, lay on the soft green grass that still barely hung on here. The scorches and blood stains had been carefully cleaned off. If he hadn't been so cold, he could almost have been sleeping...
Ratchet sat down next to him, aware he was trying to put this off. It was...hard for him. Alister had almost been family, more of a father figure to him then the actual father he had gone on about for so long. Kaden...Ratchet sincerely hoped that, where ever Alister was now, the two friends were re-united.
He looked down at the Elders face. He looked...peaceful. The rage and obsession that had driven him for so long were gone. He remembered the face of the howling mad-man who had attacked him in the Orvus chamber. It was impossible to believe that it was the same face that was now so calm and serene. Looking at him, he could see an echo of what he had once been before Tachyon had ruined everything, the proud, noble, honourable soldier.
All gone. All faded.
Ratchet sighed. So much had been lost.
He knew nothing of his people. Nothing of their legends, their songs, their stories, their customs. Alister had been so caught up in his quest, he had never told him.
And now he never could.
A single tear flowed gently down his face, and he got slowly to his feet. It was now or never...
Gently, he placed his hands under Alisters shoulders and heaved. The General was heavier than he looked. It had been a struggle bringing him this far. Trying to go as respectfully as possible, he lowered Alisters body down into the grave. It had been impossible, however, to control him for the last part, and he landed with a thud that made Ratchet wince. He spent some time making Alister presentable, rearranging him into a foetal position. He looked almost comfortable, curled up with his head resting on his arm. Knowing there should probably be something else, but miserably aware he knew nothing of Lombax burial rites, he scouted around until he found some flowers, scattering them into the grave. Now the hard part.
He reached for his shovel and paused. No. It seemed too impersonal at the moment. The idea of seeing his mentor swallowed up by sand made a lump rise in his throat. Somehow, the idea of using his hands to start with made it...easier.
He began taking handfuls of sand and gently sprinkling it over the sad, still form. Gradually, the sand began to obscure his features. He kept going, struggling to keep his mind blank. He knew that if he let his thoughts dwell on what he was doing, he would snap. Finally, Alister was covered enough that he felt able to use the shovel. It seemed barely any time at all before a neat pile of earth was all that remained of his tutor. Ratchet looked at the small, sad pile.
And broke.
He slumped to his knees, wails echoing around the ruined city.
"Alister! Oh god, I'm so sorry!"
He curled up, his grief an almost physical pain inside him.
"Why did you have to do this? There's so much I don't know! Why didn't you understand? We could have found them together! You and me, side by side! We didn't need the Clock!"
He began to rock back and forth, covering his face in his hands.
"There was so much we could have done and now it's too late! I looked up to you! I trusted you! How could you do this to me?"
He gave full vent to the grief that had been building up since that terrible, icy moment in the Clock when he realized the Elder was dead. Alister had practically been a father to him.
And now he was gone.
His pain only ebbed when the sun was beginning to sink down in the sky. He remained where he was, kneeling next to the grave as the tears dried on his face. Then he got up, moving with a purposefulness that hadn't been there before. He spent some time looking for the right sized rock, finally locating a good, smooth candidate. Carefully, he placed it where he judged Alisters head to be, and drew his laser cutter.
He'd spent hours looking this up, with the help of Talwyn, who knew how to write it. Slowly, crookedy, ragged Lombax runes began to appear on the stone, the acrid stink of burnt rock filling the air. It took a long time, but when it was done, the rock now bore the legend:
Alister Azimuth. Elder. Mentor. Friend.
Gazing down at the headstone, he felt Alister would have appreciated the effort. All that was left was one final gesture. A bundle of flowers was placed next to it.
Ratchet stood for a while, head bowed. Then he gave one last sigh.
"Goodbye, Alister..."
He turned and left. Silence fell. All that remained was the cry of some distant bird, and the gentle whisper of the wind blowing through the grass.