Hey all, sorry for the delay on this. I'm on holiday as of writing, and I've been busy with other matters while working on this story on the side. For the past while, progress was limited to just an hour of writing per day, but at least it's complete now, and a lot longer than the previous chapters, too. I hope that counts for something. Anyhow, I've held you all up long enough, I'll let you get to the chapter now.


Rivet grumbled frustratedly to herself as she slowly came to. She instinctively held up a hand to block the light in the room, it was much too harsh for someone waking up.

"Oh, hey, you're up," a female voice said to her. Rivet grimaced and forced her eyes open to see who spoke. She was in an almost painfully white room, resting in what appeared to be a hospital bed of sorts. To her right, she noticed Kit, sitting on a chair beside the bed. Kit had her head low and her eyes were closed, as if she was asleep.

"Over here," she heard on her left, and she looked to see a Markazian woman sitting beside the bed on another chair. "How are you feeling?" she asked the Lombax.

Rivet tiredly rubbed her face. "Like someone struck me right between the eyes with a brick. My head is killing me."

"I'd imagine. It looked like you hit your head pretty hard," the woman replied. "What happened, anyway?" Rivet asked. The Markazian sat back in her chair. "Well, so far as Ratchet told me, you got caught off guard by the ground collapsing and got dragged underwater. I think you hit your head either by the sheer speed of hitting the water, or otherwise by colliding with debris. Either way you had a nasty wound on the back of your head. After that, Ratchet said that your friend Kit turned enormous and raced after you, and had you back on dry land in seconds. According to Ratchet, you woke up quickly but you were really out of it, and you fell unconscious on the way here. We decided to just let you sleep it all off." The woman chuckled. "I think you could use it, too. You haven't slept well in a while, have you?"

Rivet grinned. "Perhaps we should introduce each other before we talk any further. I'm Rivet."

The Markazian smiled and offered her hand. "I'm Talwyn. Nice to meet you, Rivet. Please do talk to me, I need to make sure you don't have a concussion. You don't feel weak on one side of your body, do you?"

Rivet shook her head. "No, I feel fine. Also, yeah, I haven't had much sleep. How'd you know?"

Talwyn's smile faded a bit. "Well… after a while I learned to notice when Ratchet wasn't sleeping well. Ratchet told me that you had a lot of trouble processing what you saw on Fastoon. He had much the same response, but it was only made worse by Clank going missing. In the few months we spent looking for Clank, I found him many times awake at night, bawling his eyes out into his pillow. After a while I could see on his face when he hadn't slept well. It's the eyes, you see. Erm, no pun intended."

Rivet relaxed a bit and let herself sink into the pillows. "Well, you got me. Been sleeping with one eye open for the past few years now. It's kind of what happens when there's a whole galaxy trying to hunt you down. I still can't believe it's finally, finally over."

Rivet looked over at Kit, who seemed to be unconscious. "Is she alright?" Rivet asked. "Yeah, she went to sleep mode about half an hour ago. She refused to leave your side for so much as a second, but she told me that after using her giant mode so often in just one day, she had to go offline for a moment to restore her power core. She begged me to stay here in her stead. She felt really guilty about going offline if only for a moment," Talwyn explained.

Rivet looked at Kit with a mixture of astonishment and respect. For all the uncomfortable history between them, Kit was really, really trying. "Thanks for looking out for me, buddy," Rivet mumbled to Kit, hoping she could hear. "If you can't hear me, I'll gladly repeat it later," she added before turning back to Talwyn. "Where are Ratchet and Clank anyway?"

"Clank is checking the dimensionator for damage, and Ratchet is prepping some food. He figured you'd be hungry after everything that happened. Plus, it's dinner time anyway. Speaking of which…"

Talwyn reached for her communicator. "Ratchet, your friend is awake. She seems to be in good health."

Rivet could hear a sigh of relief coming from the other end as Talwyn put the device on speaker. "Thank the stars, I was getting worried. Commend her on her timing for me, I'm about wrapping up here. Oh, and, ehm, I kinda assumed that she'd like pancakes, I couldn't really ask her about it. Tal, could you do me a solid and verify if my hunch there is accurate? Because if not I'll quickly make something else, too."

"You're on speaker, ask her yourself," Talwyn replied with a smirk.

"Oh, well, you could've told me that before I made things awkward by talking about her in the third person, you know," Ratchet replied. He sounded upset, but Rivet could tell that he was faking it, and was just toying with Talwyn in good fun. Rivet grinned mischievously as she exchanged a look with Talwyn, who seemed to realize what Rivet was up to, and gave the Lombax a thumbs up.

"Well, that's not very nice of you, bullying your girlfriend like that," Rivet replied. She was a lot better at faking emotion than Ratchet due to years of espionage, so it sounded eerily real. "Whoa, I was just kidding, I-I-I-her and I tease each other like this all the time!" Ratchet quickly explained, and both Rivet and Talwyn burst out laughing. "Oh. I've been had, huh?" Ratchet remarked dryly at the laughter coming from his communicator. "Well, that's not very nice of you either, to bully me like that," he retorted in kind. "So, how about you tell me whether or not I just wasted my time on pancakes?" he asked, trying to sound upset though he couldn't help but let a bit of amusement sneak into his tone.

Rivet chuckled. "I don't even know what pancakes are, so we'll see."

Ratchet and Talwyn both gasped in shock. "Seriously?" Talwyn asked. "How come you've never had those?"

Rivet shrugged. "I learned how to cook from the Morts. I don't think they ever learned that recipe. You two do make me curious though." She glanced at Kit momentarily, confirming that she was still not conscious. Rivet turned back to Talwyn, who turned to the communicator. "Ratchet, we'll see you in a few, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Take care Tal!" Ratchet replied before she ended the connection.

Talwyn looked at Rivet. "Hey, if you don't mind, I have a few questions."

"Sure, go ahead," Rivet replied. Talwyn nodded. "Right. I wanted to ask about your story. It's not every day that you come across a Lombax, you know."

Rivet gave her a small smile. "Yeah, I know. Not for long though, I hope, with the dimensionator and the dimensional map and all. Anyhow, the first thing I remember is Sargasso. I woke up in an escape pod in the swamps. There wasn't really anything with me, just a toddler in an escape pod. No name, no age, just a red scarf. The Morts dubbed me Rivet, because when they found me, apparently a large rivet had come loose from the damaged escape pod and I was apparently toying with it, banging it against the metal panels of the pod and then listening to the noise it made."

Talwyn smiled. "Well, you and Ratchet really are two peas in a pod then. Wanna know how he got his name?"

"Do tell," Rivet replied as she placed her hands behind her head and stretched her back.

"Well, he crashed on Veldin as an infant. When he was found by the locals, he was toying with a miniature ratchet. It was likely part of the shuttle's on-board toolkit and came loose during the crash," Talwyn explained. Rivet chuckled at the story. "I guess he really was born to swing a wrench around, huh? Anyhow, not to be rude, but where's the restroom on this station?"

"Oh, no problem. There's one right outside this room. Turn right, then first door on your left," Talwyn replied.

"Thanks," Rivet replied as she got up. She found her boots placed neatly beside her bed and put them on before heading out to relieve herself. When she came back, she found Ratchet waiting for her. He was sitting on the now empty bed.

"Oh, hey. Where'd Talwyn go?" Rivet asked. "She went to check up on Clank," Ratchet replied before looking over at Kit. "Boy, she really is out of it, huh?"

Rivet shrugged. "Well, have you seen how enormous Kit can become? I'm not surprised she needs to recharge for a while." She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "So, what are you here for?"

"Oh! Well, I just figured you might find it more comfortable to eat at an actual dinner table, so I've come to show you the way," Ratchet explained.

"That definitely sounds a lot better," Rivet replied with a small smile. She entered the room and gently lifted Kit up into her arms. "Alright, lead the way," she said as she turned to Ratchet, who nodded and led her out of the room, and down the hallways. "You and Kit really seem to get along a lot better than before," he remarked.

Rivet's smile faded a bit. "I'll be frank… I'm still not quite over what happened. You know, with my arm and all. But, Kit is really trying, so I should, too. I've seen what the two of us can accomplish. More than that, I've seen what you and Clank can achieve together. I'm not going to let the past decide the future."

"That's the spirit," Ratchet replied as they entered the dining room. The back wall was a giant glass panel interlaced with narrow metallic support beams, providing a clear view of the Nundac asteroid ring, and the universe beyond. Rivet marveled quietly at the sight as she walked over to the modestly sized dinner table standing in front of the window, and she set Kit down on one of the seats before sitting down beside her. Ratchet meanwhile disappeared into the attached kitchen and came back out with a plate; a large stack of pancakes resting on top.

Rivet grinned at the sight. "Now that looks and smells inviting. It looks like a bit much for one person though."

Ratchet nodded. "Yeah, the eggs had to go, so I decided to just make excess batter. Tal and I like 'em too, and neither of us has had dinner yet either, so I figured we might as well all eat together. Clank is finishing up his survey of the dimensionator anyway."

"The correct word would be 'finished'," Clank spoke up as he and Talwyn came in. Clank, still missing an arm and with his legs non-functional, needed some assistance to get around after all, so Talwyn was carrying him. She set him down across from Kit, and she sat down at the head of the table. Ratchet sat down beside Clank and across from Rivet after placing the plate on the table. "Well, dig in," he said with a smile. Rivet needn't be told that twice, and happily took one of the pancakes, rolled it up, and started eating. "Mmh, it's a bit dry," she remarked.

Ratchet chuckled. "Well, I might've forgotten to mention that you ought to add a topping to it. Chocolate, fruits or sugar are common examples."

Rivet facepalmed. "Oh, now I get why there are all these pots and jars on the table," she mumbled in embarrassment. "Yeah, need me to explain what they are?" Ratchet asked. "No thanks, I think I've got it," Rivet replied as she browsed through the many different options. She ultimately ended up taking a butter knife and gently smearing a thin layer of chocolate over the pancake, re-rolled it and tried again. "Yeah, that's a lot better," she happily remarked.

"So that's a hit?" Talwyn curiously asked. "Sure is," Rivet replied with a grin before she turned to Clank. "But excuse me if I'm more concerned about the dimensionator and all. Clank, what's the latest?"

"Emperor Nefarious' careless discharges of the dimensionator, particularly while in combat, did damage some phase quartz refractors, but not enough to impair its functionality. Nonetheless it should not be difficult to replace the faulty components with pristine ones, after which the dimensionator should be good as new." He glanced at Ratchet. "So long as no Lombaxes attempt to shoot active phase quartz again."

Ratchet made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "It's not like you knew that it'd trigger a dimensional cataclysm. What actually did it do, anyway?"

"I could explain but I would lose you in under one minute," Clank replied. Ratchet shrugged. "Well, whatever. At least it's an easy fix, right?"

"For someone with arms," Clank dryly replied.

"O-Oh, yeah, I still gotta fix that, sorry pal," Ratchet awkwardly replied, a bit embarrassed. Clank chuckled. "For same. Last time my arm was damaged, you insisted on repairing it almost immediately."

"Oh yeah, that was quite the story," Ratchet replied. He looked at Rivet. "Did I actually tell you all about that?"

Rivet rubbed her ear in thought. "You might have." Then her eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, at Zurkie's! There was this egomaniac ripping apart planets to build a new one."

Ratchet nodded. "Yeah. About halfway through our adventure, Drek's planet was done, so he set about trying to find the perfect orbit. He found it, too, but a planet was already in that orbit, so he wanted to destroy it. His first attempt was the PlanetBuster Maximus, an enormous missile capable of decimating a small planet. Clank and I destroyed it over the frigid oceans of planet Hoven."

Rivet grimaced. "Is Hoven rubble now?"

Clank shook his head. "No, no, the ocean acted as a cryogenic agent and effectively nullified the payload. The rocket was rendered harmless."

Rivet let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. After Nefarious tried to destroy Sargasso, I'd rather not think about planets blowing up."

Ratchet and Clank looked at each other, then back at Rivet, while Talwyn looked at her sympathetically. "Did I say something wrong?" Rivet asked.

"No, no, it's just… Drek tried a second time to destroy that planet. It turned out to be my home planet that he was after. His second attempt involved the most powerful laser ever created. Clank and I fought him and then used his laser to blow up his own patchwork-planet, but we got knocked off the laser platform in the blast. Clank's arm was damaged during the fall. That's what his remark was about," Ratchet continued, looking at her awkwardly.

Rivet leaned back in her seat, a little taken aback by all this. "Huh, I guess I'm not the only one to have their home world threatened with big lasers by an egomaniac. How'd you cope with it?" she ultimately replied.

Talwyn glanced at Ratchet curiously, wondering what kind of impact that event left on him. "Well, the first few months were tough," Ratchet awkwardly replied. "I had nightmares for quite a few weeks after. Not every night, just… dreams of waking up to see the planet fall apart before me. I'm… not sure I ever want to find out what it looks like for a planet to disintegrate."

Rivet looked uncomfortable, and she shared a knowing look with Clank. Ratchet noticed it, but decided not to press it and instead just got back to eating. Talwyn meanwhile looked at him sympathetically. He had never shared any of that with her. Then again it's not like there was ever any need to, she reasoned. Still, she felt sorry for what he went through.

"Goodness, did I miss something?" Kit suddenly asked, and Rivet jumped a little. "Oh, hey, you're back!" she said to Kit. "How are you feeling?"

"I am quite well, Rivet, thank you," Kit replied with a small smile and a nod. "But how are you? I hope you made a full recovery?"

"Clean bill of health, no doubt thanks to you," Rivet replied with a thankful smile. Kit shook her head. "No, I… I have seismic scanners, Rivet. I studied geography too on Savali, as a hobby. I should have seen this coming. I failed you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't you go there, buddy!" Rivet quickly interrupted. "I got distracted and forgot my gear. If I just had my gear on me, this wouldn't have been such a big deal. Look, we both got distracted. It's only because of your quick thinking that all ended up just fine. We should just stay on our toes a bit more."

She sighed. "Though I will admit… letting my guard down for a bit for the first time in, well, years… it felt revitalizing. Ironically enough, it felt like I could finally take a breath of fresh air and see the stars."

"You can let your guard down here," Talwyn interjected, drawing everyone's attention. "This place is protected by automatic turrets, and even then, it is scarcely known. My father built this place to be safe."

"Though you should probably stay clear of the pond in the central garden," Ratchet added. "By the way, you can't swim, can you?"

Rivet shook her head. "Nope. Never learned how to do it. Acid swamps don't make for a great place to learn. Even then, this arm is much too heavy." She chuckled. "Pool's all yours, I guess."

"That's pretty dangerous though," Talwyn mused. "I'm captain of the Defense Force. I could probably pull some strings and get you a better arm."

Rivet opened her mouth to object, but then she rubbed her chin in thought. "I'll… I'll consider it. But let's go see the Lombaxes first."

"We should probably rest up first," Clank interjected before emitting his signature giggle. "You said it, pal," Ratchet mumbled as he leaned back in his seat. "These were a long few days of inter-dimensional chaos. I've been dying to have a good night's sleep for a while now. Sleeping in that Nefarious shuttle was a pain."

Rivet winced. "Ooh, tell me about it. Granted, I would've preferred to have made a more… graceful introduction, but still, that cot in the medical ward was really comfortable by comparison."

"Does that mean that you will rest, too?" Kit asked. Rivet shook her head. "Nah, I've had a few hours of shuteye, remember?"

Kit looked at her disapprovingly. "What?" Rivet asked innocently. "Rivet, I can see those bags under your eyes," Kit said.

"That tells me all I need to know," Talwyn said as she got up. She looked at Ratchet. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but can you clear the table and tend to the dishes? I'll prepare the guest room."

"I'll help you," Rivet said to Ratchet as she stood up as well and started collecting the now empty plates. She looked at Talwyn. "You know where to find me. Also, thank you, seriously."

Talwyn smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "Don't sweat it. Ratchet told me what you did on Viceron. You saved my only family, Rivet. That's a debt I don't think I can ever repay you. Offering you a safe place and a good night's rest is the least I can do."

Rivet smiled a little at that. "I understand you. If you lose too many friends and family, you end up defending those you have left with your last breath." She looked at Ratchet and Clank, and then at Kit, who all looked back at her with smiles. "You three really mean that much to me. And we won, so I think I can be forgiven for a sentimental remark or two, hm?"

She then turned back to Talwyn and gave her a nod of respect. "I'd do the same for you, too. Any friend of my friends is a friend of mine, too."

"Thanks, I'm glad to hear that. I'll be back in a few," Talwyn replied before heading off into the hallways. Rivet got back to moving the dishes to the kitchen. Ratchet came in after her soon enough, followed by Kit, who were carrying the remainder of the dirty dishes. "You wash 'em, I dry 'em?" Rivet asked Ratchet as she started looking through the cupboards for soap. "That's not necessary, the kitchen has a dishwasher," Ratchet replied as he opened up one of the cupboards, revealing the interior of the aforementioned device.

"A what now?" Rivet asked. "Well, you just load in the dirty dishes, push a button, let it work for a while, and then take out the clean dishes. Simple as that," Ratchet explained. "Ah, that makes sense. Sorry, I'm used to doing things by hand," Rivet replied. She seemed a little embarrassed but Ratchet paid it no mind and started loading up the dishwasher. Rivet followed his lead. "Sooo… Tal asked you about your arm. Just out of curiosity, if you could choose, what would you prefer?" Ratchet asked.

Rivet sighed. "I… I don't know. On one hand - no pun intended - the extra strength is useful, but on the other hand… it's quite a drag. It is poorly waterproofed for one, so taking a shower for example is always a pain. Try using a soap bottle or drying yourself off with only one hand. I mean, it'll survive a bit of rain but it'll rust the servos after a while, and the pistons stop functioning underwater. I'm surprised it's functional now."

"Full disclaimer: it wasn't. Kit fixed it up while you slept," Ratchet replied. Kit meanwhile was quiet, and only gave a small nod when Rivet looked over. Rivet sighed and rubbed her face. "Right, so, all things considered, I kinda miss my normal arm. It's tough, living with an arm that can't feel anything. But that's not possible, is it?"

Ratchet shook his head. "Nope. The best tech currently is Nanotech, and the damage is too severe for that."

"Yeah, I figured," Rivet mumbled. She sighed. "Well, maybe some bright light in some R&D department can build me an arm that is almost identical to the one I lost. I'd gladly settle for second best if the best isn't possible. And even then, well, flawed as this arm is, it also works. I'm still breathing, and that alone is worth something."

She then looked at Kit. "But more than anything, I just want to forget that I ever lost my arm in the first place."

Kit's expression turned sour and sad, and she averted her gaze to the floor. "Whoa, hey, that's not how I mean it," Rivet quickly called out as she knelt down and placed a hand on Kit's shoulder. "I don't blame you for my arm anymore. And yet, it's difficult for me to move past something that left such a mark on me. I'd rather just forget it ever happened because we make such a good team. I wouldn't want a stupid, bad memory of a stupid, bad past linger around. I'd rather have a clean slate and count only the good things."

"But what if that is not possible?" Kit asked. Rivet smiled. "Then we'll find some other way. How about we build a new, better arm together? That way, I'll have an arm that isn't symbolic of what I lost, but what I gained."

Kit sighed, and then finally cracked a small smile. "I would love that, Rivet," the small robot said. Then Rivet remembered something. She looked at Ratchet, mildly annoyed. "Hang on, you didn't just leave Clank behind, did you?"

"No, no, he was pondering something, I could tell," Ratchet quickly replied, waving his hands defensively. "It's best to not interrupt him when he does that. With his track record, he's bound to have some brilliant idea later. Not that I always understand what he's on about, but hey, he's always so elated afterwards and that's good enough for me."

"Why thank you, Ratchet," Clank replied as Talwyn came in, carrying Clank in her arms. "As it happens I was pondering on my current predicament. Given that my arm is outright missing, we may need to construct a blueprint from my intact arm. My legs are jammed due to extensive servo damage but are otherwise intact, and should not be too difficult to repair."

Ratchet rubbed his chin in thought. "I'm not sure if I can get that arm done quickly, but I think I can fix up those legs tomorrow. Might take all day though."

Talwyn chuckled. "You boys should discuss this later, I got two guests to show around." Ratchet chuckled and took Clank from her, securing his friend to his back. "Tal, I talked with Clank about this on the flight here. Since he can't fend for himself right now, do you mind if he stays with us tonight?"

"Not at all, I understand," Talwyn replied.

Ratchet nodded. "Alright. In that case, I'll see you in our room later," he replied before turning to Rivet and Kit, who latched herself onto Rivet's back. "I'll see you two in the morning. Goodnight."

Rivet grinned. "Back at you," she remarked, while Kit gave a polite wave. Rivet turned to Talwyn as Ratchet wandered off. "Oh, erm, Talwyn, I have a strange favor to ask."

Talwyn smiled. "Shoot."

Rivet grimaced awkwardly. "Well, erm, do you have any spare clothes I could use? I wasn't expecting to stay the night in this dimension."

Talwyn hummed in thought. "Well, I do have clothes you could use, I'm just not sure if they'd fit. How about we head to Igliak in the morning? We'll buy you some new gear. How's that sound?"

Rivet smiled. "Girl's day out, huh? You're on!"

Then Talwyn's eyes lit up. "I have an idea. If we stop by the research and development department of the Polaris Defense Force and deliver a blueprint of Clank's arm, they should have one ready in a few hours. I'll make sure it becomes top priority. We could even have those engineers have a look at your arm if you'd like."

"Perhaps," Rivet replied a bit awkwardly. "But do you mind if we save that for tomorrow?"

"Oops! Sorry, you must be tired after toppling a mech the size of a skyscraper. Just follow me, I'll take you to your room," Talwyn replied before leading Rivet into the hallways. "Hey, Talwyn, what's with all these dioramas?" Rivet asked as they walked, eyeing the faux windows in the walls that each displayed a miniature, vastly colorful and alien world.

"It's something my father made for me when I was little," Talwyn replied. "He wasn't keen on taking me out of the safety of the station. Not after mom. So he had these dioramas made, each a world he visited and wished he could show me in person. I don't know what half of these planets are."

"They look wonderful," Rivet mused as they walked. "Wait, stop!" Kit suddenly called out, and Rivet halted instantly. "What's wrong?" she asked. Kit hopped down from Rivet's back and ran up to one of the dioramas. "Rivet, I would recognize this planet anywhere, with how long I spent studying its geography. This is undeniably Savali," she said, pointing at a diorama of a rocky, barren planet with a slightly pinkish sky.

"Fascinating. So this is my dimension's version of a world you know?" Talwyn asked as she looked at the diorama. It was hard to look at it the same way now. Then Talwyn frowned. "Hang on a second. Did you just use the word 'planet'?"

Kit nodded. "Yes. Planet Savali."

Talwyn looked at Kit, then at Rivet, then at Kit again. "I'm not sure how to explain this, but Savali is the moon of planet Fastoon. I don't know much about the Lombax language, but my father once told me that 'Savali' is ancient Lombax for 'sentinel'. Similarly, 'Fastoon' is actually a composition of the ancient Lombax words 'fass' and 'tuln', meaning 'dust' and 'cradle' respectively."

Now it was Kit's turn to frown. "Curious. I wonder then why planet Fastoon is absent in my dimension. At least I might now understand why the Lombaxes chose Savali out of all planets - or moons, if you will - to study."

"Yeah, but if there's no Fastoon, then does that mean that there are normally no Lombaxes in our dimension, either?" Rivet asked before waving her hand dismissively. "You know what, no. I'm too tired to wonder about all that. Shall we?"

"Yes, though I wonder if Gary knew all this, too," Kit mused as she hopped onto Rivet's back again. "We'll figure it out," Rivet assured her as they continued on their way. They soon arrived at a door, and Talwyn lead the duo inside. Rivet whistled appreciatively as she took in the decor. The floor was made out of wooden planks, and the far wall was made out of reinforced glass, with a faint shimmer revealing a force field adding further protection. A small lounge set stood in front of the window, and in front of that, shoved against the wall, was a two-person bed. A small bathroom was also attached to the room via a door on the left.

Talwyn turned to Rivet and Kit. "Well, here you go. I won't hold you two up. I also always keep some of those plastic-wrapped throwaway toothbrushes around just in case I've got to pack unexpectedly. I've left one for you in the bathroom, Rivet, along with a small, unopened tube of toothpaste."

"Sweet, thanks a ton," Rivet happily replied. "Where and when do we meet up in the morning?"

Talwyn looked at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed. "Well, it's eleven PM, and you and Ratchet are both long overdue for some good sleep. How about nine in the morning, in the dining room? That should give you all plenty of time to rest up."

"Sounds good. I think I know the way, too. If not, well, I'm sure this place isn't infinite. We'll find our way," Rivet replied with a smirk and a nod. Talwyn smiled back at her. "Cool. I'll see you two in the morning then. Goodnight!"

"Back at you," Rivet replied before Talwyn took her leave. Rivet yawned and took off her boots, placing them beside the bed. She also took off her glove, scarf and goggles and placed them on her nightstand. She then turned to Kit, who had wandered over to the window and was staring out into space. "Kit, will you be alright?" Rivet asked as she undid her harness and placed it beside her goggles.

Kit glanced at her, over her shoulder. "Why, yes. While you were recovering, Miss Apogee gave me an old puzzle book for me to occupy my time with. According to her, Clank is very fond of logic puzzles so she recently purchased a small collection of them and, with his permission, shared one with me. I will stay awake and keep watch while you rest."

"Thanks, Kit," Rivet replied with a relieved smile before disappearing into the bathroom to clean her teeth. In lieu of having any sleepwear with her, she came back out in her undergarments, with her flight suit neatly folded, and she placed it on the nightstand as well, with her goggles and harness on top. She sat down on the bed, and looked at Kit a bit awkwardly. "Kit? Could you, uhm, lend me a hand with my arm? It's not that comfortable to sleep with, sadly."

"Of course," Kit replied as she hopped onto the bed and helped disconnect Rivet's arm from its socket. "Thanks," Rivet replied as she scooted over to the pillow and crawled under the blankets. Kit placed the arm on the other half of the double bed and then walked up to the other pillow before sitting down against it and folding open the puzzle booklet. Rivet meanwhile rolled onto her side and, with a bit of effort, killed the lights with a button beside the bed. She glanced over her shoulder at her companion. "Night, Kit."

Kit looked up from the booklet and gave Rivet a gentle smile. "Goodnight, Rivet. Rest well." Rivet nodded and let herself sink into the mattress as the fatigue she had been fighting back all day finally took its toll, and she was out like a light.

When Talwyn reached her and Ratchet's room she found him already laying in bed. Clank was sitting in one of the chairs by the window, seemingly in rest mode. Ratchet rubbed his face tiredly. "Hey, Tal," he mumbled.

"Hey sweetie," she whispered back before quickly heading into the bathroom to change her clothes and to brush her teeth. She was done rather quickly, anxious to be sleeping next to Ratchet again, and so she quickly crawled into bed beside him.

Ratchet instantly rolled over and nuzzled his head against her collarbone, while wrapping his arms around her upper torso. He sighed blissfully as he relaxed at last. "I've missed this so dearly, you know that?" he mumbled.

Talwyn tilted her head and planted a kiss atop his head. "So did I. I'm so happy that you're home safe."

They were both silent for a while, happy to just be in the other's company, before Ratchet broke the silence. "Tal?" he mumbled.

"Yes, dear?" she asked in turn.

"Once we're done with our visit to the Lombax dimension, we have to go on another vacation," he said. Talwyn chuckled. "Oh, I remember our last vacation, to Pokitaru. You were so fixated on me, I wonder if you saw most of the tourist attractions we visited."

"Well, can you blame me? You're a whole lot more beautiful than anything I could've seen there," Ratchet retorted. Talwyn giggled. "That's so sweet. Where will we go, though?" she wondered.

"Well, there's something to dream about," Ratchet replied, before yawning. "Night, Tal," he tiredly mumbled, as a whole adventure's worth of fatigue finally started to descend upon him.

"Night, Ratch," she whispered back. Talwyn could tell that he was moments from falling asleep, so she placed her hand atop his head and started stroking him softly, stroking his scalp and his big, floppy ears. Ratchet, in response, let out a soft purr as he drifted off into sleep.

As he dozed off, the memories of this latest, long journey came to mind. The trip down memory lane at the parade, fighting off Nefarious again with Clank, meeting Shadow and then Gary and Kit, and then Rivet. He remembered waiting with Kit at Zurkie's, anxious to finally meet that other Lombax. He remembered Kit excitedly tapping him, and him turning around, to finally see her.

She was pretty. Really pretty.

The scarf tied loosely around her neck; the earrings in her ears; the soft contours of her snow white face; that cute, small, pink nose; those large goggles on her head and the tuft of hair sticking out from underneath; and finally, her eyes. Those big, deep blue eyes. He took it all in at the time, mesmerized by the sight of her. Someone so different and yet so familiar. He had prepared a small speech, but it fell right out of the back of his head in that moment, and he was limited to just an awkward 'hey'.

She had seemed similarly caught off guard, giving him a similarly awkward greeting, before quickly changing the subject to Clank. But mentally Ratchet rewinded to that first look. Those big, blue eyes.

But then Rivet's face faded and was replaced with Talwyn's, giving him that smirk that he had grown to love so much. He was instantly hit with an intense feeling of familiarity and belonging. He found himself eagerly looking forward to a life with her, after so many years of getting to know each other.

And then, four words he had spoken in jest a decade earlier flashed through his mind. 'Will you marry me?'

That's it, he thought. Once this was all done, he was going to ask her the big question. 'Ratchet Apogee… I like that name,' was the last thing he thought before he finally sank into a deep sleep.


As you can see, more love setup for Ratchet. I will again pressurize that this story is indeed [Ratchet/Rivet]. You'll realize what I'm doing here as chapters progress. Speaking of chapters, I've got a solid outline for the next chapter and the one after that, so they shouldn't take long to write out. In fact, I shall cut my author's notes short so I can proceed with it quickly. I have some great ideas for it, and for the chapters after that, and I can't wait to share them all with you lovely people. Take care!

And now, without further ado, I'll take a moment to personally thank everyone who posted a review since the publication of the last chapter. You people make my day, seriously.


Fanfiction Guy: Hi again White Guardian! Thank you very much for updating the story so quickly, a lot of writers aren't as committed as you are. Another fantastic chapter btw, you really have the lore of the franchise nailed down and for that you are a legend, thank you very much!
Thank you so much! It means a lot to me to hear that. I grew up with the franchise, it is my favorite game franchise of all time, so I'm really committed to understanding the games' story.

I read your response to my comments and I think you have some really, really good points. Firstly, I understand that I didn't mention Angela Cross. It is the #1 Easter egg I cannot put my finger on but I believe you already made sense as to how and why she was mentioned in Rift Apart (Yes, I was fully aware of her reference in the game).
Angela is one of my favorite characters, so I theorize a lot about what she's going through. I wonder if we'll ever get a spinoff game focused on her.

Also, the brief history of the Lombax colony on Savali sounds plausible. As far as the Morts are concerned, your idea makes more sense than mine. I was just putting my theory out there. Anyhow, the build up to Fastoon was emotionally stimulating. I can only begin to imagine the thoughts and feelings running through Rivets mind as she explored the ravaged planet, very tragic indeed. The scene with the child's bedroom, excluding the blood and gore, was heartbreaking; one can only imagine how that must feel. The fact that the Lombaxes couldn't escape extinction without the use of the Dimensionator just goes to show just how sadistic and cruel Tachyon is and, to be honest, not only is he my most hated villian in the series but is also one I really hope will appear in the final R&C game alongside Artemis Zogg.
Same! Nefarious is the most iconic Ratchet villain, but Tachyon is definitely the most menacing and personal one. I think ToD dropped the ball a bit in contextualizing just how ruthless and brutal Tachyon was in his attack on the Lombaxes. Then again the scene I described probably would have been too graphic to display visually so I can understand why Insomniac left that bit to the readers' imagination. In writing however I am not similarly constrained and so decided to add a bit more horror to Fastoon's ruins, not least because it makes Rivet's pain all the more real.

I know this has nothing to do with your story but my idea is that before Zogg was banished to dimension A2-66, Tachyon came into contact with a mysterious, energy based species and persuaded them to help escape from the planet fragment he found himself on and, knowing how clever and convincing Tachyon is, this fits in quite well with his character. By the time Zogg appears, the two tyrants decide to team up and, with Zogg's knowledge of the Shyronix Shard and what happens to it when applied with positive energy, manage to escape to R&C's dimension and steal the shard used to power the original Dimensionator to steal planets to create a new galaxy. However, Tachyon plans to double cross Zogg by stealing specific planets from across the Universe to threaten every single corner of creation with the exception of the Cragmites. This would leave the Cragmites as the only life forms in existence and ultimately make the Lombaxes extinct just as Tachyon wanted all those years ago.
That sounds really interesting! And that's definitely Tachyon. He doesn't share thrones, though he might pretend to, in order to get what he wants. I personally find Tachyon a fascinating character to write, because while Nefarious is explosive and expressive, Tachyon is calculating, cold and methodical.

Regardless, your story is very good, please update soon!
Just did! :D I hope you enjoyed it, and take care!


Canadians Rock: I love this chapter and the story keep up the good work
Thank you so much, and I will! Take care!


kasuga: I have to say, this fic is both good in it's content and size. All I have to say is good job and that I'll follow your work.
Thank you! I'm glad you appreciate the chapter size. It's something I've been eyeballing for years admittedly. I generally aim around the 4000 words for the chapter, though in this instance I went just over the 6000 word mark. Sometimes I just can't help but work out the chapter even further. But I'm rambling now, so I digress. Thanks so much for the kind words, and take care!


GrenOut: I think it was the right decision to bring Rivet to Fastoon. It would be a waste if in the next game Rivet is completely oblivious to everything that has been built up to this point in the they may be thinking to use Rivet as an innocent and fresh approach. They'll throw her in the middle things with no context whatsoever unaware of the past so they can explain the ongoing sublplot to the new audiences through her.
That's exactly my take on things. Rivet, having lived in another dimension, has no grasp of what happened to the Lombaxes. She is a bit like new fans in that instance, and that's why I think the Lorbs worded it really well, alluding to Tachyon's invasion merely as "something really bad", leaving listeners eager to learn more.

Anyways, Rivet now has a clear picture of the reality they face. After seeing how horrifying and discouraging the past is, it is inevitable to feel uncertain about what the future holds once they reach the Lombax dimension. There is no guarantee that they will like what they find there. They've been through so much pain and loneliness... Was all that worth it?
Very well said. Though if you'd ask this story's representation of Rivet, she would argue that yes, it's worth it, because at least they'll then have closure.

I personally believe romance has never been a major element of the franchise and I doubt that is going to change in the future. Romantic interests have come and gone and nothing ever came out of that (which applies for both Ratchet and Clank). In the end, each and every one was displaced and reduced to mere "references". However, Rivet and Kit are a case apart. They are the first female characters born with a purpose unlike their predecessors whose only role was to cover the "female character" quota per game. However, I dare not say the developers intends to pair up the lombaxes and robots. There's nothing yet suggesting we'll get to see romantically involved main characters. But the transition wouldn't be illogical. I do consider it positive that they have not tried to force a romance. People ship these characters because it feels natural, not because they have a "love interest" tag stuck to their faces unlike previous candidates.
True. The interaction between Rivet and Ratchet for example is much more professional. They are very close friends but they are also partners. This can go either way. In such cases it is indeed better to leave some things in the air, because it allows for fans to speculate while Insomniac can develop the story further.

I don't know if Ratchet and Rivet or Clank and Kit are intended to be more than friends, but if there is one thing I am sure of it is that from now on the four of them will be like a family. Rivet and Kit are the new stars of the franchise, they are meant to capitalize the female audiences, they simply cannot be sidelined. Same reason why I don't expect to see a new Crash Bandicoot title without Coco. They have become fan favorites, taking them out would be a huge loss.
Absolutely, especially with how well they were received. They are just both so lovable, and I'm excited to see what Insomniac will do with them going forward.

One thing I wanted to discuss regarding this chapter is that in Rift Apart Ratchet and Clank state that they have been retired for years at the start of the game (which is a little inside joke related to the many years passed between the previous game and this one). The point is, it wouldn't make much sense for Ratchet to use the Polaris Defense Force facilities if he's not working with them anymore. And he probably hasn't been living with Talwyn either (the simple fact that she doesn't appear in-game during the big celebration honoring her "boyfriend" doesn't really give an impression of closeness). Oh well, those things are always open to interpretation. At least you can see the three together in the credits, R&C telling her about the ruins in Savali. It wouldn't be farfetch if there is a clue to her father's whereabouts there.
Very true. I personally speculate that Talwyn isn't at the celebration because she is busy. A headcanon of mine is that she is so busy with her work at the Defense Force that her relationship with Ratchet is starting to become strained. And now she and Ratchet got separated because her role has become so bureaucratic that she no longer gets into the fight herself. You can see this happen in Nexus, too, where Talwyn isn't really in combat herself. Her and Ratchet now have fundamentally different roles in the Defense Force.

I personally interpret what you say about the existence of a "dimension identical to Rivet's" in a different way. In case you don't remember, they don't use the Dimensionator or dimensional rifts to access these. The only way to access is by hitting the Blizon Crystals. The result is not a dimensional jump but a "reality shift". That is, they are still within the same dimension, but on a parallel timeline (another possibility). This is tied up with the explanations given in Clank's mini-games. These "reality shifts" happen in two locations. One in Blizon Prime where Rivet travels to a timeline where the planet had not yet been destroyed and she manages to change its fate with her actions (similar to how Clank's possibilities are headed towards a common "destiny" but he is able to alter that course with his actions). The second takes place in Cordelion, Ratchet travels to a reality where nefarious troops failed to capture the creature in the past and it destroyed the entire place, the facilities being abandoned and decaying up to the present day. In this case, Ratchet changes the fate of his own reality, destroying the forge and freeing the beast and bringing it to the parallel timeline.
That's eerily close to my own interpretation of it. My own headcanon is that the Dimensionator in essence is a five-dimensional wormhole constructor, connecting two sets of positional coordinates and a dimensional coordinate. It is canon after all that the Dimensionator can create wormholes within a dimension, not just between them. That's how Emperor Nefarious sent Ratchet and Clank to Zordoom. Theoretically this would also allow time travel by changing the coordinate along the fourth (time) axis, but that's a can of worms that I'm not even going to go near. Anyhow, if we regard the fourth dimension as time, then we can regard the fifth dimension as possible timelines. Blizon, then, connects to a very near branch. Not a fully-fledged parallel universe, but a small snippet of an alternate version of an existent parallel universe.

Anyways, this chapter has been fascinating. I've loved the interactions with Aphelion and the funny (and educational, might I add) references. But without a doubt the best thing was Rivet's reaction when she took in the horrifying tragedy that befell her species. She's anything but a delicate flower but this was just too much, even for her. Ratchet knew this would happen, he's been in her shoes before. But there's nothing they can do about it. They can only support and be there for each other and prepare for what the near future has in store for them. I guess the one who saves Rivet at the end of the chapter is Kit and down there they will find the clue they were looking for.
Spot on! Well, almost. In actuality I was setting up a plot device, namely that Rivet can't swim because of 1) having been raised on Sargasso, where most of the water will sear your skin off with its acidity, so there wasn't really anything for her to practice in, and 2) because of her having a solid metal arm. That thing will sink like a brick. And with her arm now mildly damaged, some... 'adjustments' are needed.

Sorry for the long review and shitty english. I'll try to be more concise in later chapters.
It's not a problem, really. In fact, I greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into your review. Also I didn't see any issues with your English, so don't worry about that. Anyhow, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and take care!


Sniffy: I can't fully express in words how much I like what you've written so far, I'm bad at explaining myself.

But to keep it short, I'm really glad you have a solid plan for the direction of this story and I can feel this was written by someone with a passion for the series. You have my full interest and respect. Wish you the best going forward in all regards!
Thank you so much! It really makes my day to hear that someone appreciates my work like that. And you bet I'm very passionate about this series. It'd be impossible for me to briefly explain just how much this franchise has changed my life and defined me as a person. But I digress, thank you so very, very much for the kind words, and I wish you all the best as well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and take care!


MojoBlack, chapter 1: Great start to the chapter! The conversation between our two lovely protags was excellent start up fuel.
Though I am wondering how in the midst of all the lore they spoke about how does Tachyon fit in between R&C the reboot and Rift Apart?
Nevertheless great start up, hope to see more from this story
He actually doesn't, I don't think. A part of the reboot-verse is that it were actually the Blarg that were responsible for the near-extinction of the Lombaxes in that reality. That might've ended up on the cutting room floor though. Rift though seems to follow the Nexus timeline, with for example a reference to Talwyn that Ratchet can make on Savali. I do like the nods to the reboot-verse that Insomniac added, such as the Hall of Heroes parade float and the Ranger armor set.

MojoBlack, chapter 2: The Fastoon visit was a good choice to build up more of Rivet's character as far as her being emotionally invested in her race's history. I'm surprised you went the Ratchet and Talwyn route but I'll reserve my thoughts on the matter until future chapters come about.
Hope there s some good action and future gun slinging in store
I fully concede that it is confusing that I'm first going for a Ratchet/Talwyn route. This is because Rift Apart alludes to there still being a strong relationship between Ratchet and Talwyn, and I can't retcon that out of the blue. It's a critical plot point though. You'll see what I mean in the future. I should mention, I don't plan on this being a short story. I still got a long way to go. We're only in the beginning phase of the first of three acts. And yes, I have some great plans as far as weapons are concerned. Most excitingly, it'll only be a handful more chapters until I get to introduce it. Specifically, that'll happen during the second half of act 1.

Anyhow, thank you so much for your reviews! I really hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Take care!


Ratchet Rift Apart: Ratchet and Rivet together to search lombaxes further secret? This was a very good story! Looking forward for the next chapter
And what a search they'll have. I can't say more than that without spoiling what I have in mind though, sadly. But you'll see soon enough. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and take care!


aymenadeeb81: This is an incredible chapter really it is I can't wait to read the next one don't ever quit you hear me this is very well written and I love it
Don't worry, I have no intention of leaving this story unfinished. Thank you so much for the kind words, and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the previous one(s). Take care!


Guest: oh man, I can't wait to read more of this amazing fic

simply outstanding, you're doing something wonderful here! please keep it going!
Thank you so much for the kind words! And you bet I'll pick up the pace on this story. I'm truly humbled by all of the kind words it has received so far. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as you did the previous one(s). Thank you once again, and take care!