Prologue
Time travel.
The ability to twist time and space to the point that you can rip the very fabric of existence without even knowing it.
With time travel it didn't matter if you traveled to the past or the future, someone or something was always at risk.
Knowing that one misstep could destroy everything.
But what if time travel was the only option, what if in order to save someone you love you had to break the rules.
Chapter 1
Silence. That was all that was heard in the interior of the starship known as Aphelion. The ongoing silence was almost too much to bear for a certain lombax.
Why did Clank come with me, why didn't he stay at the clock?
Ratchet thought the same questions over and over but he was still not ready to ask them out loud, especially not to the person in question. Ratchet took a quick glance at the small robot beside him. Clank was currently distracting himself by mindlessly staring ahead, his neon green eyes shining with a soft intensity. A sense of calm went through Ratchet, why this always happened whenever he looked at Clank was a mystery. It just felt so complete when Clank was with him.
Ratchet turned his attention back to the empty void that lay in front of him. There were not that many Planets in this sector of space, mostly because of all the black holes swallowing up almost everything in their path.
The ships AI suddenly spoke up, causing Ratchet to jump in his seat and nearly smack his head on the ships ceiling.
"Warning, Asteroid field detected. Proceed with caution". The startled lombax sat back in his seat with a sign.
"Great, I've been just dying for an opportunity to play dodge the asteroid". Disappointment littered Ratchet's voice making Clank shift his gaze to its source.
Clank almost froze when he saw Ratchet.
A dark veil seemed to cover the lombax, an overall sadness that Clank had never seen his Best friend wear.
"Ratchet". His name that was all he needed to hear. Ratchet dodged the final asteroid, then letting out a breath he turned towards Clank.
"Clank there's something I need to ask you, something I've had stuck in my head ever since we left the Great Clock".
Clank adjusted his position ever so slightly. "Yes Ratchet".
This is it, is he finally going to admit it? Is he finally going to…
"Clank, I want to know why you decided to come with me, why you didn't stay at the clock."
Clank was dumbstruck, that was why Ratchet was acting so quiet, because of his decision to leave the clock and come with him instead of staying?
No, there had to be more to this?
"Ratchet if you must know, the main reason I left the clock was because…..". Clank stopped mid-sentence.
What was he supposed to tell Ratchet? That he left because he didn't want to leave him until he found a family of his own? No, because that was a lie.
The real reason why Clank left The Great Clock was something different entirely.
He couldn't leave the one he loved.
"Um Clank, are you okay?".
Clank was snapped out of his thoughts from a familiar hand being waved in front of his face.
The small robot once again focused his attention on Ratchet; a look of worry littered his friend's soft features.
"I am fine, Ratchet".
Ratchet's look of worry immediately changed to one of relief.
"That's good".
Ratchet put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.
"Ratchet, I do not mean to interrupt but should you be paying more attention to the path in front of us?".
The lombax opened an eye. "No worries Clank, I got her set on autopilot".
Ratchet all of a sudden sprung up from his seat, realizing he forgot something.
"Hey Clank, you never finished telling me why you left the Clock".
Clank crossed his arms and shrugged, defeated.
"If you really must know, the main reason why I left the Clock was because I just could not stand the thought of abandoning you".
Clank turned away from Ratchet and returned to blankly facing the front. Ratchet had on a confused expression.
Is it just me or is Clank keeping something important from me?
Ratchet shook his head and wrapped his hands around the familiar ship wheel.
"Autopilot disengaged".
The AI gave off its usual alert as Ratchet flipped off the autopilot and took over.
Sorry if the first chapter seems short.
Ratchet and Clank, along with all of the other canon characters in the same universe, belong to Insomniac Games.