Chapter 2 will be out as soon as I edit it :P

Chapter 1: Expect the unexpected...


After a few short minutes, Ratchet, Clank and Aphelion were hauled into a new world. The ship crashed, taking trees with it as it slid a good 50 metres before finally coming to a halt. Ratchet opened the cracked cockpit and jumped out, coughing from the smoke from the crash. After rubbing his eyes to clear his vision, he surveyed the new environment.

They had crashed in a forest of pine trees, which basically ripped apart Aphelion. The broken vehicle had damaged the forest as well though. Almost like an eye for an eye…

"Looks like the primary energy coil short circuited…" he said to himself before the right wing fell off, "and no wings, great." A sudden coughing entered his ears from the cockpit which was still emitting smoke. Wait… coughing? Last time he checked robots couldn't cough. They didn't have lungs!

"Clank? Is that you?" he asked, equipping his wrench and slowly making his way to the ship. His ears were met with no answer. He tried calling his best friend's name again but when that didn't work, he looked into the cockpit. Almost immediately, there was a scream and Ratchet fell backwards as a flash of grey bolted from the scene. Ratchet sat there dumbfounded. That must have been Clank, no doubt about it, but he screamed! Not the usual 'ahh', but a full on girl scream. That was new.

Ratchet stood up and ran to Aphelion, quickly opening the ship's main hatch and began to fiddle around with the various parts. After setting up the tracker and connecting it to his nav– unit, Ratchet closed the hatch, picked up his wrench which he had thrown when 'Clank' screamed and started running in the direction his friend went.

It was quite easy tracking Clank, since it looked as if he ripped every single branch along the way. He must have been really out of it to cause this much damage. That and the damage was unusually high.

"Clank? Where are you?!" he called, voice noticeably becoming more shaky with worry. He didn't want to lose his best pal again, not after those three painfully hard years without him.

"Clank! Come on pal, you can't have gone too far… woah!"he mumbled before tripping over something, landing on his face.

"Every… single… time…" he growled as he stood up and looked at the offender. Which was nothing. That didn't make sense, he knew he didn't trip himself over, he would have felt that. That's when he heard a sniff. Too quiet for anyone with average hearing to detect, but Ratchet didn't have ordinary hearing.

"Clank, is that you?" he asked the thick bush, reminding himself that if it wasn't Clank, he was talking to a shrub for no reason. That would be embarrassing.

"Ratchet…" responded a small voice. It sounded like Clank, except more fearful and upset. The lombax debated on whether or not he should coax him out or move the bush himself. He chose the first option as to not scare him.

"Are you alright? You had me worried there for a while, I thought you had run off and left me," he grinned, cracking a joke to lighten the mood. There was no reply.

"Clank, you can't hide forever. Now what's wrong?"

"…I don't know…"

"Come on, I can help!" he began to grow impatient.

"I'm not so sure about that…" Clank whimpered. His voice was muffled, as if he had buried his face into something.

"You won't know until I try."

Finally Clank admitted defeat and allowed Ratchet to see him. He moved the branches of the bush to clear his view of his friend and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his friend. It was definitely not something the lombax was expecting, at all. He looked like an exact copy of himself only he had silver fur with snow white stripes. His eyes a brilliant vibrant green in which Ratchet could not stop staring at. Clank was alombax.

"Wow, Clank… I mean… wow!" Ratchet had no words to describe this event. Clank a lombax? How is that even logically possible! Said lombax was becoming uncomfortable.

"Ahh, Ratchet? Is it that bad?" Clank's voice trembled as his head lowered and ears drooped. Ratchet began to panic.

"No, no, no! You look… great! More than great actually…" he tried nervously. Clank's ears lifted slightly.

"What… am I?" he asked quietly, confusing Ratchet.

"What do you mean pal?" he replied, head tilted to the side. Then it hit him. Clank hasn't seen himself yet!

"Well, I know I'm now an organic, but I don't know what race I am. I'm so confused… and tired…"

"Well, oddly enough, you're one of the best races in the universe, a lombax," Ratchet grinned, "and I see you're wearing my old Terraflux armour." Clank looked away in embarrassment.

"I needed something to wear! Besides, I rather like the design…" he shot back in defence.

Ratchet raised his hands in surrender, "I don't mind really. It's probably best you don't go around without any clothes on…"

Clank gave his best glare, "You are really not helping my situation here," he somewhat growled causing Ratchet to back off.

"Aright it's cool… anyway, why did you run off like that?"

"I…" Clank stumbled for words, "I guess I was just afraid…"

"Of what?"

"What do you think?! I've been turned into an organic! I don't know the first thing about living!"

Ratchet thought for a moment, "I can teach you, if you want. But not everything!"

Clank looked up to meet Ratchet's gaze, "thank you."

"Hey, what are pals for? C'mon, let's start moving," he said holding his hand out to help Clank up.

"Um, Ratchet? How do I… tell my body to move?"

"What are you talking about? You ran all the way here!" Ratchet said lowering his arm.

"I was scared! I didn't know what I was doing!" Clank quickly responded. Ratchet shrank back. Boy Clank could be scary himself…

"Just, think about it and make it happen. I don't know how to describe it!"

Clank obeyed and managed to use the tree he was leaning against as support to stand. Once upright, the grey lombax let go of the tree and glanced at Ratchet as if to ask 'what do I do now?'

"Just come to me. Don't worry, if you fall I will catch you," Ratchet reassured. The now turned lombax swallowed nervously and put one foot forward.

"Remember, your tail will help with balancing." Clank took a deep breath and walked forward a few steps. He began to smile when he made it just before Ratchet.

"See? Not that hard."

"This is all so new to me… I'm probably going to be a nuisance…" Said Clank looking down in shame. Ratchet awkwardly pat him on the head.

"Don't worry, once you learn how to hold a gun, we can get twice as much done!" The golden lombax said in an attempt to comfort Clank.

"Yeah… alright! Let's go, before nightfall." Ratchet's attempt seemed to have worked as Clank was now grinning like an idiot, causing himself to smile.

"One thing though…"

"Hmm?"

"Can you stay beside me? I don't want to fall…"

Ratchet's smile grew, "sure pal."

And with that, the duo continued to walk through the forest, unaware of the incoming storm.

"You know what I just realised? That technically your first word was 'Ratchet'"