Waltz of Shadows

by Wolfzen Skiigh

Transcending two Universes and thirty five years, Waltz of Shadows tells the story of an experimental weapon named Ether, a Lombax birthed of quantum mechanics and mortal design, and his adventures behind the workings of the Ratchet and Clank Universe. Waking up five years after Tachyon's betrayal, Ether finds himself alone in a Universe full of questions. This is his legacy.

1. Prologue

Waltz of Shadows

By Nathaniel Schrader

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Year 1992 | CE a

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Prologue

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A repugnant look spread across the Lombaxe's face. His glare alone heated the cold room within this derelict station. His current sight: an experiment in a clear tube, floating amongst hundreds of wires and tubes. The metal grated floor clinked under his boots as he took two steps closer, the only change of sound in a room buzzing with computers and electronic equipment.

"You couldn't have just done it on your own, could've you?" the Lombax growled to the gestation chamber that glowed soft white. Sleeping and unaware of his intruder, the black and white Lombax youth simply loosed bubbles of air from his nose in response, the amassed collection of attachments drifting in motion with him. "Of course you wouldn't be able to… That would've been too damn easy." The intrusive Lombax stepped closer again, reaching outwards towards the child. His hand fell upon the glass, wet warmth greeting his outstretched palm and fingers. His eyes sharpened, dragging nails on the exterior. The surface showed no damage or scratches as the Lombaxe's hand form a fist. With a quaking pound the Lombax smashed his hand against the chamber. A dull poke of pain ran through him, his breath deepening. The floor shook as he walloped the casing a second and third time.

"I've come all the way back for you against my will you son of a bitch," the Lombax seethed through his teeth towards the undamaged tube. His nails skid across the surface and drew sparks from it, the screeching flames scattering across the floor in a flurry of light. The Lombax stood still, his posture ebbing up and down as he breathed out his rage. He closed his eyes and let his head droop, his right hand gripping tightly at the fat in his left. He held it with an iron grip, counting the seconds between his breaths in his head. The sounds of buzzing devices replaced the man's smoldering pants of anger. He had done this before, he knew. Though this wasn't the physical form of the Universe he had done it in, he had done the very same deed prior in parallel.

The Lombaxe's eyes opened once more, significantly more calm. He wordlessly looked at the boy for a moment before turning to walk around the left side of the tube, standing at a console.

"I should just let you do what you need to do, I understand that." The Lombaxe's hand pressed against the screen of a control console. Frills of green light pushed from under his fur and spread across the screen in a vein pattern. A spark shower exhumed from behind the device as the room lit up with red warnings and alarms, the tubes connecting to the experimental child detaching violently. Every light of the room flared brightly, electrical currents and arcs visible along the boy's body in sharp lines of white, turning more and more violet with each resounding snap of lightning. The Lombax at the console moved, walking casually to the door of the room and bending over to reach for something in the dark. As the tube started to creak forward on old, unmaintained supports, it tilted upwards to show the bottom hatch. The intruder simply stood in front, waiting. He watched a small table emerge from behind the tube's original position, sliding over under the bottom of the now stopped chamber. The chaos of the room all but ceased as the lightning disappeared instantly from the boy, replaced with the sound of hissing. A loud "shunk" was heard as the slider hatch of the tube jettisoned downwards, torrents of chemical solution draining in a flood as it carried the boy's limp body. He fell onto the table with a bang of metal, the fluids gushing out all over the floor and into the drains.

The intruder's boots, now shiny black and dripping with slick remnants of gestation water, were the only sound remaining in the cold, black room. The white patches on the naked boy's fur glowed lightly, just enough to play tricks on the eye in an entirely dark surrounding. The Lombax above him took the curtain like object in his hands and neatly draped it over the softly breathing newborn. The lights above flickered slightly, the power restoring to the room in twitches of light and shadow.

"I understand what you need to do." The intruder smoothed a crease over the big blanket, a black cape with golden, intricate design. "I hope." the Lombax spoke glumly. Looking over the boy, he carefully reached over him he worked under the heavy cape around his chest, pulling out the chain leading under it and retrieving a glinting set of polished dog tags. There was a serial code: 1987X5-XAILY-E5. Just under it, in heavy print: ETHER 5. Both tags were identical, copies. The Lombax set the tags down as softly as he could onto the cape.

"It was my fault, I know." The intruder's face fell dark as he bent over, putting a hand on the boy's forehead and kissing his nose. "I am sorry for the pain in both your future and past. I pray you'll forgive me- in time…" the Lombax whispered. The sole sound in the room came only from the boy's soft breathing, still asleep on the table peacefully. The intruder stood and smoothed the soft fur over the boy's head.

"Rest as long as you need, Ether. When you're ready, I'll be ready."