This story takes place shortly after the events of a crack in time, but Ratchet never left the clock but instead stayed to help clank keep the place up and running.
I do not own Ratchet and Clank (I wish I did) this is for entertainment purposes only.
(The Great Clock)
Ratchet and clank walked through the halls of the great clock taking note of all the damage from the battle earlier that day with General Azimuth. Ratchet had his head hung low as he trailed behind Clank; Clank noticed this. "Ratchet, are you alright?", Ratchets ears perked and he answered with his head still hanging low. "I'm fine clank, its just… Alister was the only Lombax that I knew, its rough having him gone". Clank stopped walking, he turned around to look into his friends distant eyes. "He gave his life to save yours and many others Ratchet, he died a hero's death" Clank tried to console his friend, but all he got from the lombax was a nod of the head. The two continued walking through the clock when all the sudden the clock started to shake violently. "um, clank please tell me it does that" Clank looked at his startled friend and shook his head "I am afraid not". The duo ran to the orvus chamber only to be blinded by a white lite, Ratchets vision got cloudy… and then it all went black.
"Hey, hey kid wake up" spoke a deep voice. Ratchet lay there in an alleyway still unconscious. the deep voiced man then proceeded to poke ratchet with the blunt end of his weapon. "Hey you can't sleep here" Ratchet stirred "i'm trying to sleep clank" Ratchet then came to his senses "that's not clank!" Ratchet shot up to his feet in a battle stance only to see that he was completely naked save for his boxers, he was shorter and his voice was a higher pitch all in all ratchet appeared to be a child again "whoa where am I…AND WHY DO I NOT HAVE ANY CLOTHES ON!" Ratchet yelled. The man in front of him clad in renaissance period steel plate armor started laughing "you are in fastoon city, and you look like you have been through the ringer" Ratchet finally noticed that the man in armor was a lombax "you're a lombax" the man gave Ratchet a weird look "are you touched boy, what else would I be" Ratchet didn't know what to say, he was at a loss of words. "Well I guess I can't leave you out here on you're lonesome, come with me, I will get you some clothes and a roof over your head, and by the way my name is Helgrim Stark what is yours" "my name is Ratchet" with that Ratchet followed the man towards what appeared to be a small house. Helgrim gave Ratchet a tour of the house, it was small, made of wood and it had a strange smell. in the center of the main room was a large fire pit no doubt for keeping warm on the cold fastoon nights or cooking. on the left side of the room was a set of stairs that led to the two bedrooms Ratchets room was on the left side of the short hallway and Helgrims was right across the hall. The bedrooms were very small, only enough space for the bed and a small closet. The beds looked very uncomfortable, they were a wooden frame with a thin layer of straw for padding and an animal skin covering it up. After Helgrim showed Ratchet his room, he dug through an old pile of clothes that were laying next to the bed and he gave them to Ratchet. "these were my son Brynjolf's but... he won't be needing them anymore". Ratchet put on the clothes and just as soon as Helgrim was about to walk out to get back to work Ratchet asks "hey Helgrim,what year is it" Helgrim smiled and replied " it's fifteen ninety seven Ratchet" Ratchet gave a thoughtful look "thank you sir" Helgrim shot Ratchet a glare "i'm no sir, far from it actually. I'm just an old retired Praetorian guardsman whose survived too many wars".
Later that night Ratchet fell asleep in his hard uncomfortable bed. he had nightmares all through the night. The battle between him and Alister played out in his mind over and over again. "Alister no" Ratchet muttered as he stirred in his bed. "Your father would be ashamed of you" "don't do this Alister" Ratchet muttered again. Ratchet was covered in sweat from the terrible nightmares he was having. Ratchet woke in the middle of the night and he started suffering from insomnia. Ratchet was still in shock because of the massive bombshell that was dropped on his lap that morning. He was deep in thought for the better half of an hour. He had thoughts racing in his head about where he was dropped off by the clock, "how did I get myself stuck in the fastoon renaissance period" Ratchet whispered to himself "and how am I going to get back". Ratchet managed to get himself back to sleep.
The sun was just starting to rise above fastoon leaving a beautiful orange sunrise over the sand dunes in the distance. A small figure climbed up the side of Helgrim and Ratchets house. The figure climbed through Ratchets bedroom window and started nudging him in the side. Ratchet woke up and noticed a small black cat was standing on his bed. The cat had green eyes and a small red tuft of fur on the top of its head. "Hey there little guy, are you lost too" Ratchet was shocked when he actually got a reply. "It would appear so" now Ratchet was awake and staring at the small cat with wide eyes, "am i losing my mind or did you just talk" the cat looked at Ratchet with a raised brow "of course I just talked". Ratchet stared at the cat with a look of disbelief plastered on his face, "do you have a name?" Ratchet asked "what you do not recognize your best friend" Ratchet got a thoughtful look on his face, then it hit him "Clank!".