Author's note:

Hello again everyone, and welcome to what will likely be my last update before the Christmas rush finally settles in. You'll be happy to hear that after weeks of waiting, I finally have a new computer and can start hammering out chapters again on a proper keyboard, as opposed to relying upon my phone's barely adequate notepad app. Unfortunately, losing all that time and dealing with a moderate case of writer's block all the while has meant falling far, far behind on my update schedule, and I need time to catch up once again.

But with Christmas around the corner, and work and family commitments eating up what little free time I have for writing, I don't want to promise something I can't actually deliver. Ergo, I intend to stop and get at least a few chapter drafts done and edited as a buffer before stating to post again at some point in the new year. In the meantime though, I'd like to thank you all for bearing with me during this awkward down period, and hope this chapter will suffice until I'm up together once more.

I'm always trying to improve as a writer, so please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, flamers are not. If you enjoy this story, please feel free to check out the other stories on my account should you wish.

- RevenantReaper337

Disclaimer:

Ratchet & Clank, associated characters, organisations, and intellectual properties belong to Insomniac Games. All other real world organisations and products belong to their respective governments, companies, etc. Original characters, creatures, weapons, etc. belong to me. Cover art belongs to Nekolover3 and is used with her kind permission.

'Thoughts'

Flashbacks

"Speech"

Chapter 43:

Down the Rabbit Hole

Slim Cognito's Ship Shack, [Location Redacted]

Bogon Galaxy

G2.17.086 Galactic calendar

4:23am GST

"Seriously, this is your plan? This... this hobo?!" Angela snarled at the returned lombax, before jabbing a finger towards his chest. "All this time I've been fighting to keep your girl alive, waiting for you to bring back some kind of miracle worker, and you get some old coot who should've been put out to pasture a long time ago! What the hell were you even thinking?!"

"Hey, give the guy some credit," Ratchet shot back with both hands raised in placation. "I mean, yeah, he's kinda... different, but he pretty much saved our lives back on Tabora. Y'know, after you just took your ship and left us there."

Before that particular argument could gain any momentum however, the dishevelled and scruffy-looking figure that Ratchet had desperately sought out took a few lazy steps forward. His gleaming orange eyes alight with undisguised interest, and lack of oral hygiene readily apparent as his lips parted into a toothy grin through an unkempt and thickly carpeted white beard. "Do not fear, child," he drawled with a very distinctive Southern twang. "Simply have faith in the cosmos, and it shall surely have faith in you."

"I've got my 'faith' right here, you weirdo," Angela growled back at the new age mystic. Her eyes narrowed and glaring into his own, fingers pointedly tapping on the pistol holstered at her side all the while. "We've got some of the best medical equipment I've ever seen outside of a hospital operating theatre right here, and it's still not enough to do any more than just barely keep her stable! So unless there's some kind of genius surgeon hiding under all those robes and new age hippy crap, I fail to see how you can do any better."

"Oh, I think you'll be surprised," Ratchet grinned knowingly, before quickly sobering at the sight of Ellen's comatose form. "Angela, please... just give the guy a chance already. Like you said, Ellen's life is on the line here, and at this point, what have you got to lose?"

Angela's smouldering glare and flexing, clawed fingers were indication enough of exactly what she thought, even without the background rising growl in her throat. But after several long seconds of the odd group staring at one another she finally relented; hands thrown up in the air and almost smacking Cash in the face as he ducked back into the room via a side door. "Urgh... Fine, whatever! Do what you want! Meantime I'll be over here, trying to save her with actual science, and not some whack job mumbo jumbo."

So saying, she stalked away to a bank of medical monitors nearby and glared at the readouts while stabbing at the holographic interface with far more force than necessary. Cash simply raising an eyebrow as he slowly closed the door, before panning his gaze from Angela's scowling form to where Ratchet and the old man were stood on Ellen's opposite side. "What did I miss?"

Ratchet snorted with a shake of his head, allowing the mystic to amble past as he replied. "Not much. How's Clank and Samus doing?"

"Probably been better, I know that much," Cash returned with a frown, his eyes wandering back over to the medical berth on which Ellen still lay. "Little Sheila's not taking it well, seeing her mate like this. Really tore her up. Clank's keepin' her company, but..."

"Yeah, I get you..." Ratchet grimaced at the still raw memories of Snivelak, and the immediate aftermath of their struggle against Logan and the Buddy brothers. Any sense of victory turning to ashes after realising just how badly injured Ellen really was, and only serving to stoke the embers of anger, frustration, and guilt at his failure to prevent it.

The ten minutes or so it took for Cash to arrive after his frantic call for help were among the longest in Ratchet's life. The merc's clearly limping ship simply unable to land quickly enough nearby for his liking, nor Clank and Samus once they followed suit shortly thereafter with the recovered Star Explorer. None of them feeling any better for being able to see Ellen's condition in person, with the little infobot in particular becoming unsurprisingly distraught; Her processor reduced to a scrambled mess and unable to stop herself from bodily shaking with grief as the others desperately battled to save Ellen's life.

Or at least, that is, until Angela's barked orders snapped Samus out of her mental feedback loop and provided a sense of purpose she could cling on to. Sending her dashing after the other two and helping to ferry back as much Nanotech from the ships as they could find with unparalleled vigour, while Cash worked on finding them an alternate method of transportation off of Snivelak. The sense of actually doing something to help keeping Samus occupied on the task at hand, rather than the prospect of Ellen's gradual slipping away into death, or at least until they could evacuate via the short range hauler Cash eventually brought back.

But once they were actually underway, and with nothing further to occupy her processor, Samus had begun to withdraw into herself and barely spoken at all throughout the entire trip. Which was more than a little worrying given just how introverted and fragile she seemed to be at the best of times, and an event like this with the life of such a close friend on the line could only make her mental state worse. He could only hope that Clank's company and way with words would be enough to comfort her; especially since it was pretty obvious to everyone but his best friend that the little infobot was completely smitten with him.

But that was neither here nor now, as of this moment, and callous as it might seem, right now Ratchet couldn't afford to deal with anything else but the immediate situation in front of him. Namely saving Ellen's life, and hoping against hope that the old man could deliver the same kind of miraculous results as he did on Tabora.

"So, who's ya friend?" Cash asked, finally breaking the short silence that had settled between them. Brow furrowing as the mystic began to position a number of roughly cut crystals in a specific pattern around Ellen's operating table, while mumbling to himself all the while. "Y'know, he looks kinda familiar somehow... Pretty sure I've seen that face before, but I can't think where..."

"Probably scamming some idiots on a HV shopping channel," Angela muttered darkly from her corner of the room. A wary eye kept on the old man at all times as she busied herself in the sea of data before her, while studiously ignoring the... Were those seriously runes and sigils he was chalking out on the operating theatre's floor?

Whatever it was that the old man was doing seemed to be both intricate and incredibly complex; the designs painstakingly drawn on to the sterile metal surface below, and flowing in a seemingly endless loop of elegant lines and geometric shapes which instinctively drew the eye. Around this perfect circle lay the faintly glowing, translucent crystals which had been placed at precise intervals, many of them harvested from the harsh wastes of Tabora's surface by Ratchet and Ellen, after a passionate night spent in an abandoned communications relay station. An irony which wouldn't truly be appreciated by the relevant parties for quite some time, given their intended purpose.

Amidst all of this, the mystic's robed form settled down in a small clear patch formed from overlapping concentric rings and adopted a traditional lotus position. Eyes closed and palms held open at his side with thumbs and pointer fingers touching together, before taking A deep, cleansing breath and beginning a low, chanting mantra. "Ohm... Ohm..."

"And what, exactly, is all that supposed to do?" Angela asked with a scornful tone, and perhaps more than a degree of frustration. Any pretence at work abandoned in favour of glaring at the old man, and what she considered to be a complete farce.

Rather than retort in kind however, the mystic lazily opened one eye and regarded her with polite indifference, before closing it once again while speaking with his languid Southern drawl. "This child suffers from gravely wounded chi; her body and spirit no longer in alignment with the greater cosmos."

"But you can fix her, right?" Ratchet interrupted with a near desperate look of hope in his eyes. His downcast ears raising a little and hands nervously twitching with the need to do something - anything - rather than stand around and watch Ellen fade with each passing minute. "I mean, all it took you was a bunch of those crystals and chanting for our ship to be as good as new, so shouldn't this be a whole lot easier?"

The mystic however shook his head, not once moving from his pose or otherwise outwardly reacting to the room's other inhabitants. "No, child. For the healing of flesh and mind are far beyond that of merely shaping metal, even with the crystals' power. No, it requires something... far more."

"Like all those doodles and lines you were drawing?" Angela asked with an arched brow and a healthy dose of scepticism, arms folded across her chest. "And what's this about a ship?"

"I think he means spiritual energy, like a connection to the soul," Cash mused aloud as the mystic's breathing evened out in tempo to his renewed chanting mantra. Apparently oblivious to the incredulous stares he was getting from the other two. "Those lines are probably acting like a conduit between him, the crystals, and Ellen, keepin' 'em anchored to the physical plane."

...

"What?"

"Spiritual... Energy..." Angela deadpanned. "Seriously, Harding, what the hell? Are you actually buying this hocus-pocus crap?""

Cash merely shrugged. "Grandad was a Khapi tribe shaman on a little backwater planet you've probably never heard of. Back when I was a little ankle biter, me and the family used to go visit all the time, and he'd be doing stuff like this for the villagers. Even got in on it meself once, not that I was any good."

"Cappy what now?" Ratchet asked, looking between them with confusion.

But before he or anyone else could elaborate any further, the chain of lilac-coloured crystals surrounding the mystic's meditating form began to glow. Faint pulses of energy flickering between them and growing stronger by the second, while simultaneously flowing across the intricate swirling patterns he had previously chalked out and causing them to light up as if they were neon street signs. While the other three present unsurprisingly elected to put some safe distance between them and the ritual circle as the old man's chanting reached a fever pitch; his voice taking on a reverberating edge, emanating with a sense of raw power that almost seemed to weigh down upon them like a physical force made manifest.

And then it exploded in a crackling storm of pure, blinding light. The lombaxes instinctively shielding their eyes with upraised arms, while Cash hunkered down behind a trolley of medical implements and turned his face away from the epicentre. Clank and Samus bolting into the room a matter of seconds later from the same side door Cash had used earlier, only to pause as they witnessed the maelstrom of energy first hand. "Ratchet, what is going- Oh my!"

E-Ellen?!_ Samus squeaked in fear with optics wide. What's happening to her?!_

Unfortunately for her and everyone else present, there was no rational scientific explanation for what they were seeing. Angela especially watching with her mouth hanging open in disbelief as the blinding source of light visibly splitting into tendrils of pale lavender energy, before lazily orbiting around the still seated and chanting mystic in a swirling cloud that soon parted much like a blooming flower. Arcs of electricity connecting some to various pieces of machinery in the operating theatre when they passed by too closely and causing the equipment to short out, while others still took a more direct route.

A stunned silence settled across the room, broken only by a constant hum of crackling energy filling the air as the tendrils of energy surged forth and ploughed into their intended target with incredible force, yet didn't visibly harm her in any way. Ratchet shaking off his stupor and crying out Ellen's name in alarm once she began to glow with the same pale light while slowly levitating above the operating table, much in the same way as his Star Explorer had back on Tabora.

Unlike that event however, instead of scrapped ship parts being magnetically drawn into the epicentre and reassembled, shards of metal were being physically expelled from Ellen's body with great force, before liquefying and condensing into a dark grey, shimmering ball that hovered above her chest. The entire process taking but a few seconds before the glow began to dissipate and Ellen's still unconscious body was gently lowered back down to the table once more, with Ratchet bolting forth to reach her and Angela not far behind. Both lombaxes staring with wide and wondrous eyes at the complete absence of any injuries and unblemished skin visible through her still torn up commando jumpsuit.

But while Ratchet had seen similar results before, and was simply relieved to have Ellen in the clear, Angela found herself staring at the scene with pure, wide-eyed incomprehension. The others soon joining him at their companion's side while she simply stared at where the human's now completely and inexplicably healed chest wound had been, before slowly turning her bewildered gaze towards the strange man whom she had so easily dismissed as little more than a crank barely ten minutes ago; still calmly sitting in a traditional lotus pose amidst his intricately drawn circle. The constant litany of chanting having long since died away before he exhaled one last deep breath and lazily opened one eye after the other, shortly followed by a gap-toothed grin being shot her way.

"This one's chi has been restored."

"I don't believe it... I just don't believe it," Angela whispered hoarsely, a finger shakily pointing directly at Ellen's now gently sleeping form. "There isn't even a mark on her! How the hell is that even possible?!"

The mystic simply smiled as if dealing with an errant and particularly stubborn student, giving her a gentle nod as he eased himself back into a standing position. "And that, my child, is why you fail. Not because you are a fool, but sangleminded; unwilling to open yourself to the cosmos and all its possibilities."

"But it doesn't make any sense!" Angela exclaimed with increasing frustration. "There's no reasoning, no scientific basis for just up and healing someone like that without any kind of medical training or equipment! It just as well be-"

"Magic?" Cash suggested with a wry grin and single brow raised in question, neatly ignoring the withering glare she shot him in return.

"Oh don't you start," she growled. "I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation for what we just witnessed here, and believe me, I will find it.

"Told ya he was the real deal," Ratchet added over his shoulder with a knowing smirk, before directing a tired, yet grateful smile towards the old man. The constant, adrenaline fuelled panic he had been riding since Snivelak having clearly taken its toll, yet not impacting on the heartfelt sincerity in his voice one bit. "I still don't know how you did it old timer, and it really doesn't matter either way. But you saved Ellen's life today when nobody else could, and there's no way I can ever thank you enough."

Clank nodded in agreement from where he was perched on the operating table near Ellen's head, with Samus hovering over his shoulder and continuing to fret over the redhead. "I concur. How can we ever repay you?"

"I require no material possessions and would never ask for payment in kind," the mystic dismissed with a lethargic wave of his hand, "such is the will of the cosmos. However..."

"'However' what?" Angela asked with narrowing eyes, temporarily looking away from the display of Ellen's vitals she was scrutinising on her Wrist Com so as to give him her full attention.

The mystic's almost perpetually amused facade slipped, and for but a brief moment, she was able to see something else in those all encompassing golden eyes of his. Something far more serious and world weary, before it was buried once again as he continued on with a worryingly cautious tone. "The danger has not yet passed. For while her chi has been restored, this child's essence has yet to be truly awoken."

Ratchet visibly tensed at his words, fur bristling and grip on Ellen's hand tightening unconsciously, while everyone else present exchanged worried glances at his warning. Nobody quite sure what to make of it, and perhaps feeling more than a little dread at the potential answer. Although in the end, it was Cash who wound up vocalising their collective line of thought.

"What the bloody hell's that supposed to mean?"

{()}

"So, let me get this straight," Ellen sighed wearily, keeping pace with the others as they walked and an eye on their surroundings all the while. "I took so much shrapnel on Snivelak that I ended up looking like a damn pin cushion, slipped into some kind of mini coma after nearly drowning in my own blood, was practically on the verge of death until Obi Wan over here stepped in, and now I'm trapped inside my own head?"

"That pretty much sums it up, best I can tell," Simon agreed with a slight shrug, his rifle shouldered and eyes scanning for any threats before them with every step they took. "Still not sure where exactly I fit in, aside from keepin' ye safe. But I'm nae complaining if it means getting to see you again, even if this whole thing is some kind of Inception level bullshit."

"You and me both," she replied with a fond, yet wistful smile, before turning her attention back towards the third member of their party. "And you're what exactly, again? Some kind of... mental construct? projection?"

"A spirit guide, my child," the robed mystic replied with both arms raised and fingers waggling for emphasis, his face still a picture of Zen. "Formed from the essence of the my other self, and given life through the cosmos' will. It is my task to heal your mind and return you to the waking world once more."

"Still feels like some kind of messed up dream to me," she muttered. "Hell, I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around it all. I mean, of all the places my subconscious could choose, why here? And what's up with those demonic monster things?"

"Evil spirits, formed from bad chi," he corrected, drawing out the words for emphasis. "They are not of your mind, but from beyond. Preying on the weak and unwary; turning your own thoughts and memories against you."

"Yeah... That."

And hadn't that been a disturbing revelation in itself when he'd first brought it up, even if she'd been more than a little sceptical at the time. Because if the old man was to be believed, then the seriously disturbing, shapeshifting creatures that had mobbed her previously were more than just the products of a guilty conscience, but rather an actual threat to her very existence. One that exploited and revelled in their victim's fears, before ultimately crushing their minds entirely and leeching what was left like some kind of... psychic vampires meets Freddy Kruger, maybe? Only a whole lot freakier and with no real way to know whether she could trust what she was seeing at face value, given that they could potentially disguise themselves as virtually anything or anyone.

Not to mention the fact that she now had what amounted to a tiny portion of the old man's soul inside her head, along with a physical representation of her very much deceased brother, and it was small wonder that Ellen was left with her head spinning by the time he finally finished explaining just what exactly was going on. Especially given his grim warning that if she were to die here in this limbo-like dreamscape, so too would her real body.

'Just like the goddamned Matrix...'

Heedless to say, that unarmed and vulnerable as she was right now, Ellen wasn't planning on taking any chances. Hence why they were currently sticking close together and making their way across the warped, monochrome memory of her old school grounds; their goal laying somewhere within the main building itself, where the old man - or rather imprint left behind by the original - was convinced that they could find a way out of this nightmare landscape at its very heart. Something which Ellen didn't like the idea of one bit, given her growing sense of apprehension at its dark, foreboding visage as they approached, let alone stirring up a number of bad memories associated with the place.

However, given that there was no other obvious way out of here and nothing but pitch black darkness beyond the school's perimeter fence, plus who knows how many of those things waiting to strike from the shadows at any moment, she didn't see any other choice unless she wanted to stay trapped here forever. But at least this time she wouldn't have to face her fears alone, and between the three of them, Ellen was sure they could find the key to escaping her mental prison. Just as soon as they managed to find a way inside, that is.

Because while the school itself mostly looked like she recalled from so many years ago, parts of it were decidedly... off in some way. Doorways and windows appearing at odd angles and locations along the walls, only to change yet again when she next looked back at them; almost as if to prevent them from getting inside, and leaving the three of them little choice but to circle around the main block until they could reach where she hoped the reception area would still be.

Which, she reflected grimly, was probably exactly whatever those creepy, monstrous things intended. The darkening skies and distinct lack of any life whatsoever around them not helping Ellen's nerves one bit as they gradually inched closer towards their goal, making her jump involuntarily at the sudden, unexpected hand on her shoulder.

"You alright there, Red?" Simon asked, a brow raised at her skittishness and concern evident in his eyes. "Y'looking kind of tense."

"What do you think?" she snorted with a shake of her head. "I keep expecting one of those things to jump us any second, and I'm not even armed! Never mind just how messed up this place is to start with."

"Well, it's your head, Red," he shot back with a slight grin as Ellen groaned at his ad hoc pun. Taking the opportunity to sling an arm across her shoulder in a half hug while keeping both his rifle and a majority of his attention focused on the school grounds ahead. "Speakin' o' which, I wonder why it's just us three and not y'boyfriend in here with us."

Ellen blinked, completely thrown off guard by his casual mention of something, or rather someone that he shouldn't even have knowledge of. "Wait, do you mean Ratchet?"

"Wee cat fella, golden yellow fur and tail, about so big?" Simon listed off casually, gesturing with his free hand for emphasis and getting a hesitant, somewhat confused nod in return. "Aye, I know about 'em."

"But... how? I mean, you're..."

"Dead?" he suggested with a raised brow, his growing smirk faltering at her barely suppressed wince. "Aye, maybe I am, but that doesn't make me ignorant. You'd be surprised just how much y'can pick up on from being in someone else's head. That, and he filled in some of the blanks."

Ellen stole a glance over at the still serene-looking mystic travelling beside them a short distance away, doubtlessly listening in despite showing no signs of such. A slight scowl set upon her face as she wondered just what else the old man might have found out from poking around inside her head, before pushing that line of thought aside in favour of more immediate worries. "And... You're alright with that? That he's... not human?"

Silence seemed to stretch between them as Simon seemed to consider her words, his eyes firmly on the horizon and head slightly tilted in thought, while a cold feeling of dread began to fester in the pit of her stomach. It was a question that had been gnawing at the redhead ever since she first returned to Earth a year ago, wondering just how exactly her remaining family would react to Ratchet and the nature of their relationship if they ever met. Because at the end of the day, when all was said and done, how was anyone supposed to go about explaining to their parents that not only is their sole daughter going out with an extraterrestrial, bipedal space cat, but that they also have a... decidedly 'active' love life to boot?

Ellen certainly didn't know, but in her darker moments she expected the worst. Freaking out and calling in the authorities, or outright disgust and rejection being chief among them, along with assuming she was delusional and sending her to a mental hospital. So it was perhaps little surprise then that Ellen's mind was working itself into a frenzy of increasingly improbable scenarios as she waited for Simon's answer, his otherwise unreadable, blank expression not helping her nerves one bit as they gradually continued to trudge forth towards their intended destination. Leaving her with little more than her own harried thoughts and the sound of their footfalls for company until, at long last, he finally answered.

"Honestly, given all the weird shit I've seen and heard in the last couple'o hours of traipsing through this place, why would I?" His casual shrug and relaxed posture might have fooled anyone else from a distance, but Ellen knew her brother far too well, and the uncharacteristically firm tone of his voice had definitely caught her full attention. "Because at the end o' the day, Red, this is your life to live. Your decisions are your own, and so long as you make each other happy, who am I or anyone else t'say otherwise?"

"Wait... You mean...?"

Firmly grasping her shoulder with his off hand, Ellen's already steadily decreasing stride finally slowed to a halt. Leaving them both stood alone upon a patch of warped concrete playground with nary another sound nor soul in sight, save for the discretely loitering mystic nearby, and a flickering myriad of emotions between them as she met the calm strength in his eyes with the fiery determination of her own.

"Ellen, different mum or not, you're still my little sister. We might not have always agreed on everything, but if being with Ratchet is what you really want, then I'll support you all the way, no matter what. Helps that he seems like a decent bloke, and honestly? I reckon you're over thinking all this."

"Simon, I..." Ellen swallowed, voice taut with emotion as she embraced him fully and sent them both staggering sideways. "Thank you. You have no idea how much that means, coming from you."

"Hey, that's what big brothers are for, right?" Simon simply chuckled as he returned the hug, taking the opportunity to ruffle her hair before reluctantly pulling them apart with a smirk. "That, and embarrassing the shit out of you. Believe me, you getting together with a giant alien space cat is the least of my worries right now. No matter how weird it is, or all the wee mutant anime cat girl babies y'gonna have."

"Simon!" she yelped out in shocked horror, eyes wide and cheeks aflame as he neatly avoided her clumsy retaliatory swing while shaking with laughter all the while. "Seriously, what the hell?"

Simon however simply cackled further still upon once again catching sight of her mortified expression, a finger absentmindedly rubbing the fine trail of tears trickling from his eyes. "Oh God, y'face is a bloody picture! I wish I had a camera right about now."

"You asshole," she scowled, sparing a moment to shoot a warning glare at the old man and his nonchalant yet amused face, before a sudden thought had her turning back towards her brother with a sly smirk. "You're just jealous 'cause I might end up getting to see the real deal one day, and that they'll be miles better than your waifu."

"Hey, you leave my Blair out of this," he protested with a grin, his free hand lashing out in an attempt to grab her, only for Ellen to duck away with a peal of unrestrained laughter. "C'mere you!"

"Got to catch me first!"

Ellen promptly bolted, cackling all the while as Simon chased her in a circuit around the clearly bemused mystic, before descending into fits of giggles once he managed to sweep the redhead up in a bear hug and tickle her mercilessly. Neither of which had a worry in the world for those wondrous, brief moments of sibling playfulness that took Ellen back to better days, when the world seemed that bit brighter. The redhead trying to give as good as she got in kind while worming her way out of his grip, and failing miserably given that Simon was wearing body armour.

But of course all good things must come to pass, and while their antics had helped raise her spirits in this godforsaken prison of her mind, Ellen knew they still had a long way to go and no idea as to what might jump out at them when they least expected it. Simon seemingly having come to much the same conclusion long before she had, judging by the expression on his face and comforting hand on her shoulder as he set her back down on the ground. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, I do," she admitted, after a moment to think it over. "Thanks, Si. I needed that."

"Anytime," he returned with a smile, before patting the shoulder he was grasping and turning to face the looming school buildings ahead. "Now, what d'you say we pick up the pace a wee bit? That exit isn't going ta find itself now, is it?"

"Too right," Ellen murmured as she fell into step beside him, the pair soon beginning to advance towards their goal once more in tandem, while the mystic trailed slightly behind them at a relaxed pace.

A faint smile touched the old man's lips as he kept an eye on the two reunited siblings and their good-natured, back and forth banter. The girl seeming far more relaxed and generally lighter in spirit than he could ever recall since first meeting her, which in turn was having an increasingly positive effect upon the surrounding monochrome mindscape, if the small blotches of returning colour in her wake were anything to go by. Not that either of them seemed to notice, but if anything else, it was proof that simply being within her brother's presence, and feeling accepted by him, was an important step in the right direction if they were to finally heal her mind.

He could only hope that she was ready for what still lay ahead, because the dark, predatory creatures that had latched onto her psyche were unlikely to give up their prize without a fight. And given what trace memory engrams and experiences the mystic had from his other, greater self, things were about to get a whole lot more dangerous very swiftly.

'The storm gathers, child. I only hope that you are ready to face it.'

{()}

"Wait, are you serious?" Ratchet asked with wide-eyed shock, having avidly listened to the old man's longwinded explanation for the past several minutes with no small amount of incredulous disbelief. "Can't you just... wake her up?"

It had been a lot to take in, and to be perfectly honest, had it not been for the strange new age mystic's previous track record, Ratchet wouldn't have believed a word. Angela certainly hadn't wasted any time on calling him out on what she dubbed 'mumbo jumbo bullshit', while Clank and Samus seemed curious, and tentatively hopeful, if worried at the prospect. Perhaps unsurprising when told that your friend and partner, miraculously cured after being at death's door, was now going on a 'spiritual journey' inside her own subconscious, and with a fragment of the old man's soul of all things as her guide. That being the kind of thing most rational, logical people would baulk at under most circumstances, were it not for what they had just witnessed.

Oddly enough though, it didn't seem to affect Cash all that much, if the slight frown of concentration on his face was anything to go by. Almost as if he were trying to recall some half forgotten past memory, rather than coming to terms with the old man's unique brand of healing. Which in itself piqued a sense of curiosity in some distant corner of Ratchet's mind, but was swiftly overshadowed by the perhaps the most pressing issue right now; namely making sure Ellen returned to the land of the living, and with her mind still intact.

Having paused briefly for the information to properly sink in with his audience, the old man finally, slowly, shook his head in return. "I have done all I am able, but the child's fate is of her own will, and that of the Cosmos. She will wake, or she will not; only time will tell."

"At least she's alive and well, mate," Cash added gently, having placed a reassuring hand on the much shorter lombax's shoulder. "Besides, that girl's a fighter, and a damn sight tougher'n a lot of folks I know that're twice her age."

"Be that as it may," Clank interrupted with a proceeding polite cough and raw concern evident in his optics. Samus mirroring his expression and refusing to let go of his arm as he took a step forth. "I - we - can not help but worry for her ongoing condition, and any potentially lasting effects she may suffer as a result. "

Taking a glimpse at Ellen's still comatose and gently breathing form, Angela couldn't help but grimace in agreement. Because while physically stable for now, even if by means she had yet to truly understand, Ellen's mental health was still a largely grey area. One which she was ill equipped to deal with, and if even a modicum of what the old man had said was remotely true, then the girl was probably going through the worst kind of unending, nightmare-fuelled fever dreams right now. The kind from which Ellen couldn't just simply 'wake up' unless a mental trigger was found, and despite what they might have wished to the contrary, damn little anybody else in this room could do to help.

"There's not a lot we can do right now," Angela sighed wearily, running a smeared gloved hand down her face. "Except for hurry up and wait that is, and figure out where the hell we go from here."

"Perhaps I can... assist with that," a familiar oily voice suggested from the operating theatre's back wall. All present save for the serene mystic jolting a little at the sudden interruption, before turning to face the previously darkened screen there, and the shadowy figure of Slim Cognito looking down upon them with a hint of amusement in his beady eyes.

"Slim?" Ratchet questioned in surprise, before frowning at the screen. "When did you get back? Heck, where have even been all this time? Nobody's heard from you in hours!"

"Been doing a little digging while the old guy worked on your girl," he replied, head briefly dipping towards where the mystic stood, "and managed to pull a few strings with some people who owe me favours. Long story short, I got word on what happened to that Protopet you're after."

"Wait, you do?" Angela asked, perking up immediately at the prospect of finally having some good news. "Well, don't keep us in suspense! Spit it out already!"

Slim chuckled mirthlessly at her impatience, and the group's growing impatience, but quickly complied. Unfortunately, it really wasn't the kind of answer they wanted to hear. "It's been taken to Megacorp's company headquarters on planet Yeedil by Fizzwidget himself, and is rumoured to be under lockdown in a secure biohazard containment wing, while guarded by a crack battalion of veteran troops."

Angela cursed up a storm, beginning to pace while muttering several choice expletives under her breath before anything coherent could escape her lips. "Because of course he'd take it to the single, most secured and heavily guarded compound in the entire galaxy! Why wouldn't he?!"

Casting a wary glance her way, Ratchet hesitantly raised a hand as if he were answering a student answering a question in class. "So, uh... what's the good news?"

"That was the good news," Slim replied dryly. The look in his eyes leaving everyone else on edge, and a prevalent sense of dread in the air as to what came next "Believe me, the bad news is a whole lot worse. Here, take a look at this."

"Bloody 'ellfire!" Cash exclaimed, slowly lowering his perpetually present sunglasses and whistling lowly as he stared at the screen. "That's..."

"A whole lot of Protopets," Ratchet finished with horrified awe, his eyes somewhat glazed as it took in the constantly scrolling sea of statistics and blurry snapshots. "But where are they even coming from? I mean, there's no way Megacorp could've made that many already, right?"

"Fourteen point three trillion and counting, to be precise," Clank clarified grimly as he rapidly skimmed through the data with machine efficiency. "With an estimated production capacity of two hundred million per day, predicted to treble within the course of the next galactic standard week. Though I do not see any indication as to how Megacorp is mass producing the Protopet in such vast quantities, or indeed, the location of their manufacturing facilities."

"I can take a pretty good guess," Angela growled, fists clenched and eyes narrowing at the screen. "They must be flash cloning the original on an industrial scale, or at least it's genetic material. But to churn them out on that scale... We're talking some kind of mega factory here at least; probably several and in different sectors of the galaxy, with production lines running for miles in order to keep up that kind of output."

She paused momentarily, gaze flickering towards the top left corner, where Slim's barely visible image still watched them with interest. "You know where they are, don't you?"

Slim chuckled lightly as the constantly scrolling report shrank and shifted off to the right of the screen, leaving the rest pitch black save for his shifty looking eyes giving her an evaluating look. "Not exactly. But I've got a lead as to where one might be, and I can keep pushing my contacts for details on the rest. I'll leave the 'how' for you to figure out."

"Reckon we'd best get to planning then," Cash added, turning his gaze to meet everyone else. "'Cos the way I see it, we've got a lot of ground to cover, and only a matter of days at best until Megacorp unleashes those fuzzy little murder balls on everyone in Bogon."

"Yeah, I know..." Ratchet sighed wearily, feeling more than a little stressed and drained after the past day's events. "But what about Ellen?"

All eyes turned to look at the unconscious girl still laying upon the room's sole operating table; appearing for all the world to be in a deep, peaceful sleep, despite what the mystic had told them. A myriad of emotions stirring in their collective thoughts as the implications of the lombax's question truly sank in, leaving the room in relative silence save for the dull hum of medical equipment. Because if the old man was right, then there was no telling just how long it would take for Ellen to recover on her own, and unfortunately for them and the galaxy at large, time was something they simply no longer had. Which left the team with a hard decision to make, and but only one real outcome.

"We have to leave her behind," Angela voiced aloud, glancing sideways towards a grimacing Ratchet. "She's in no fit state to travel, and I can't think of a safer place in the galaxy for her to stay out of Megacorp's reach right now than here."

"I know... But that doesn't mean I have to like it," Ratchet eventually groused after several long seconds, venting another frustrated sigh. The gloved fingers on one hand reaching out to gently caress Ellen's cheek. "It just feels so wrong, leaving her like this. Not to mention if Slim'll agree in the first place anyway."

"For my two best customers?" Slim asked rhetorically, albeit with a calculating look in his eyes. "I think we can come to some kind of... arrangement. Just so long as you don't lead the company to my front door, of course. Plus I'll need at least one of you to keep any eye on her, seeing as I'll likely be preoccupied for the foreseeable future."

Um... I w-wouldn't mind staying and taking care of her._ Samus offered meekly with a slight raise of her arm, before shrinking in on herself upon realising all attention was on her. I... I mean, if t-that's okay with you. It's just that Ellen's done so much for me and..._

Before the little infobot's nervous, babbling torrent of words could truly gain momentum, however, a sudden but comforting weight draped itself across one shoulder. Her optics widening in surprise as they met Clank's own vibrant green gaze, and core thrumming with no small amount of relief upon taking in the gentle, sympathetic look on his face. "I understand, Samus. All too well. In fact, unless my presence is required elsewhere, I believe I will accompany you."

"Same here," Angela added with a briefly raised hand, "seeing as I'm the nearest she's going to get to a qualified medical doctor and all."

Cash nodded in agreement. "Fair enough, Doc. But that leaves us down two heavy hitters, and only me and short stuff here to take the fight back to Megacorp."

Ignoring the indignant retort on Ratchet's part, Angela simply nodded back. "For now at least, maybe. Which means we should get back to planning the best way to work with what we do have, and shutting those Protopet factories down for good."

Switching her attention over to the still active wall-mounted screen, she gave the quietly listening form of Slim Cognito her full attention. Leaning forward with both hands planted firmly upon a trolley of medical instruments as she gave him a firm, unyielding look. "Alright, so... What's this lead you were talking about?"

The countermeasures Slim had in place to conceal his identity, from both the authorities and his usually... questionable clientele, meant that none could see the growing smirk on his face at the older lombax's question. Taking but a moment to savour the fruits of his intelligence gathering capabilities, before keying up the relevant files and displaying them on the screen in meticulous order. All while cautiously watching the strange old hermit who had so effectively healed Ellen, and whose background and true capabilities even he wasn't able to ascertain, as he gave the screen's hidden camera a brief wink and knowing smile before finding a seat to one side.

Which, perhaps unsurprisingly, given Slim's inherent sense of paranoia, didn't reassure him in the slightest. Nor did it dampen his sense of curiosity and suspicion as the mystic produced one of those unusual purple crystals from his robes, before beginning to etch some intricate design upon one side with a sharp stylus; humming tunefully off key all the while. But still, Doctor Cross' request came first before his own insecurities, and as a gracious host, he was bound to add at least a little colour commentary to go with the multitude of imagery and documents his guests were now sifting through.

"According to my sources, Megacorp has at least three main complexes dedicated to mass producing the Protopet. Two are likely backup sites and storage, but going by the sheer amount of logistics involved and known Megacorp assets in the local area, the best place to start looking for the main site is somewhere in this sector, here..."

While everyone else was invested in the following briefing however, virtually all of Ratchet's attention was on the unconscious human beside him as he gently stroked the knots out of her matted mass of red hair. A lingering sense of guilt still plaguing him, but mostly overshadowed by the rising sense of hope in his chest as she slept soundly on; breathing steadily and seemingly without a care in the world, as opposed to being on the verge of death as she had been but scant hours before. There was nothing he wanted to do more at that point than to forget everything else and stay by her side. To be there for the girl he had come to love more than anything else when she finally woke up; to make up for his mistakes, and to help her in any way he could.

But, much as he might have wished otherwise, he knew it couldn't be. Because despite all their efforts, the galaxy was still facing a potentially apocalyptic event, and as much as he hated the idea, the two of them would have to part ways once more if there was to be any chance of finally putting a stop to Megacorp's insane scheme for good. All he could do for now was pray for her swift recovery, hoping that she'd forgive him for screwing up so badly, and prepare for what still lay ahead.

"You come back to me, babe. You hear me?" he murmured, voice thick with barely suppressed emotion. "You and me, Clank and the others? We're a team now, and they need you - I need you - now more than ever."

His free hand grasped her own, fingers intertwining as he squeezed them gently. "So please, Ellen... Please wake up."

So, yeah… Unfortunately things kind of spiralled out of control, and unfortunately I couldn't neatly wrap this arc up like I wanted to, or at least without making things a cop out. Still not fully happy with the way it turned out either, but at least now I'm past the grinding writer's block I had putting this one together, and the next chapter should hopefully flow both a lot quicker and smoothly. Until next time, let me thank you all once again for sticking by this story, and wish you all a very merry Christmas. Take care, and fingers crossed, I'll see you all again in the new year.

Review replies:

Snow Wolf Alpha - Honestly, I'm just happy to be back, and that I didn't lose everything when my PC decided to pack up and die on me. If nothing else, at least the down time gave me a chance to start planning out the final act in better detail, and hopefully eliminate any problems before they crop up. I had hoped for this arc to be more focused upon the central cast and

As for the chapter, I… might have been a little melodramatic with the whole 'truth' thing, and had hoped to use this arc for better developing the main characters to an extent. Not sure how successful I've been so far, given that it still feels like something's missing in a way that I can't quite put my finger on. But I guess it's a start, and if nothing else, it gives me a chance to expand upon Ellen's background, and of course Simon as well. When it comes to the creatures however… Well, let's just say your suspicions may hold more than just a little weight…

starrat - Thank you. Hope it was worth the wait!

GamerHeart - *Blinks* I'm sorry, I seem to have missed the context here, though I presume you mean Ratchet and Ellen. In which case I already have the beginnings of a weapons and equipment list drawn up for the sequel, although I'd love to hear your opinion.

bajy - Glad you liked it, though as you've probably already gathered, things are likely to get a whole lot weirder for our heroes before they get any better.

Firestar5277 - That I am! If only for a little while… I'm glad you liked the chapter though; I wanted to try and do something a bit more psychological and character based rather than constant explosions, but wasn't really sure how it would be received, so that's a small relief.

I was originally going to run through a 'ghosts of Christmas' style list of bad guys tormenting Ellen, each with their own segment, but ultimately decided against it due to reading as far too much suffering for little gain, and tedious to write. At least this way, and with the following few chapters, it gives an opportunity to better flesh out her back story, and as you said, help Ellen grow as a character. As for the mystic however, you'll just have to read the chapter in order to find out…

Nice puns by the way, so here's a groan worthy example of my own:

What do you get if you cross a collapsing mountain with a Swedish pop group? An Abba-lanche. Buh-dum tiss!

Razor of DOOM - By and large, or at least for the most part. Although I'm trying to put my own particular spin on the trope in order to make it interesting and allow more time for character interaction. I honestly did consider just using a time skip at several points, thanks to the way these last few chapters have been fighting me all the way. But I think it's proven to be more than worth the hassle so far, and a welcome change of pace.

DarkEnigma95 - You're welcome! Like I said, I'm always happy to help whenever possible, so don't hesitate to ask if you need anything. As for the chapter, things may be taking a bit of a darker turn, but I feel it's the right choice to make here. The heroes have been getting it a little too easy up to this point, and it was about high time their string of borrowed luck (or plot armour) finally caught up with them. Plus it gives me a chance to write a few chapters that ease off of the explosions for a while in favour of conversation and intrigue.

Light Seeker 001 - Yep! Or at least he'll try, through his own contrived means. To be honest, Drek seems like the type who keeps his cards close to his chest, and I can't see him even consider trusting Qwark with anything important, let alone information of that calibre. Especially since he's treated as more of an expendable asset rather than a 'partner' in Drek's greater scheme. Although if Qwark did find out somehow through some contrived means, Ellen would be more than happy to 'discourage' him from spreading word of Earth's location.

Vendicor - Always nice to hear someone's eager to read my work, and I'm more than happy to deliver. Here's hoping this mini arc pans out the way I hoped it would, and doesn't end up ballooning into a multi chapter grindfest like Snivelak was becoming…

Bookwriter94 - Thanks for understanding. It's a real pain in the backside, but at least now I've got the capability to actually starting cranking out chapters again; albeit slowly. As for the chapter, you're definitely looking in the right direction with regards to the line between reality and imagination. But the question then becomes one of where that line is drawn, and who is ultimately in control of her mindscape…

Plazmatik - Welcome back to the party; hope you enjoy your stay! I have to agree with you though; my original intention was to make Snivelak a much more epic and challenging obstacle for our heroes to overcome than canon. But, well… I might've gotten just a teeny bit carried away, and especially with the slogfest of a final battle. Same with the prison ship and final Star Explorer level really, although at least you can't say they're boring, if nothing else.

Glad to hear you're enjoying it overall though, and that your sentiment on servicemen and women so closely echoes mine. Never shall we forget.

As for your question, I use a combination of captured game footage, Wiki entries, and my own memories for creating each chapter. Youtube lets plays are okay for general reference for a particular level layout, but the Youtubers in question are mainly focused on blowing stuff up and not the background details. Which is why I usually record my own runs instead; with an emphasis on exploring the level in depth and environmental features rather than combat, then using it to help flesh out the scene so as to make it feel more realistic. From there it's just a case of applying both canon knowledge and a hearty helping of my own imagination to make each chapter the best I'm able. Does that help?

Sonachugirl - Well, better late than not, as they say. Seriously though, I hope you get better soon; I can personally attest to just how miserable and sleep depriving a heavy cold can be at the best of times, and especially when you need to wake up at an ungodly hour of the morning. Urgh…

Ellen's kind of in a bad place right about now, and more will be explained about her… situation in the new chapter, as you've no doubt already read. Happy to hear you liked it overall though, and thankfully I have a new computer now, so at least I can start typing again. 'Selfcest' though? Yeah… I'm going to be borrowing that brain bleach once you're done with it. Seriously, ew…

Lightsaviour2759 - Determination: I have it. Seriously though, I'd just didn't want to leave people hanging any longer, and figured having a chapter up was better than nothing at all. Plus it gave me a chance to explain the circumstances behind my extended absence, even if the method of typing proved to be a headache, not to mention editing. Still, it's done now, and on the plus side, at least you don't have to wait long in order to find out what happens next. Hope you like the new chapter!