…

Ratchet sits by his desk, sketching out random gadget ideas. Or at least, he wishes he was. His hands shake more than they used to, no longer holding the energy of youth. He knows his time is coming, but dammit, he needs more.

Now, he's preparing those he'll leave behind for the inevitable, doing the paperwork to mark himself as a DNB; 'do not bio-transfer'. The term is so aggressive for what it really is, but who is he to deny Clank's request? He's always been right about things when it's most important. Crumpled papers litter the wood, the rough drafts of a will. All of a sudden, a bright light appears.

The orb of light thickens, materializing into a coherent shape Ratchet's only ever seen once from a distance. "It's good to finally meet you, Ratchet!"

The long retired hero blinks, shocked by what his eyes are telling him. "Wait, you're Orvus!" The fascination of meeting the Zoni turns to disappointment and sadness. "I guess that means my time's up, then. You're-"

The Zoni shakes his head. "Dead? Not quite, Ratchet. I was very close that day, true, but I managed to escape to my home dimension before that dreadful doctor finished the job. There, I recovered, but I was unable to leave or interact with this dimension until recently." Offering a smile, Orvus eases Ratchet's fears. "You my friend, still have a bit of time left in you."

"So that means I can at least say goodbye to Clank?"

Orvus giggles, and it's so much clearer to Ratchet that Clank really is his father's son. That laugh is unmistakable. "Much more than that, Ratchet! I came here today to thank you personally."

"Thank me? For what?"

"As the leader of the Zoni, I am grateful for your help to gather the lost Zoni when We were scattered by Nefarious. As the creator of the Great Clock, and the guardian of time, I thank you for risking everything to protect the universe from the Clock's misuse. I could see it caused you much hardship to do so. As a father, I thank you for protecting my son, and for being there for him in good and bad times when I could not."

"It's the least I could do, Orvus." Ratchet grins, thinking back to a time gone by. "It's thanks to him that I'm here today."

"The Zoni are not a race that lets a good deed go unrewarded, as you have no doubt learned from the ones you rescued. For all that you've done for the universe, my people, and my son, I'm here to offer you a gift."

"A gift?"

The Zoni leader nods, hovering closer to the retired hero. "When you spoke with Clank using the obsidian eye, you made a promise that truly touched me. I cannot offer you immortality, nor can I bring back the dead. I can, however, offer you this: When we meet again, I will grant you a new life to fulfill that promise. Do you want that?"

Ratchet connects the pieces, eyes growing wide. That was so long ago, but he remembers every word of that call like it was yesterday. "More than anything. Thank you, Orvus. It'd be an honor."

Orvus deflects the praise back to him, his lighthearted voice seemingly making him a bit brighter. "No, my boy, thank you. I'll let you know when the time comes and send a piece of you down. That way you can live in peace with your other friends, but stay with my son."

The Zoni's tone becomes more like that of a stern leader, one worthy of respect. "But there is one condition: When you meet the new life, you cannot tell them about the afterlife, is that clear? There are some things one is not meant to know until it comes to them."

Ratchet nods. "Of course. I...I can't thank you enough, sir."

The friendly light returns, and Orvus waves happily, his eyes squinting with glee. "Farewell, Ratchet. I'll see you on the other side, hehe!"

With that signature giggle, Orvus disappears. With a fit of inspiration, Ratchet opens the sketchbook on his desk to work on rough concepts. He'll clean them up for the blueprints later.

…

The holo-Ratchet finishes his story with a sigh.

"... I don't know if this person will remember you, but know this: you have always been, and will always be, my best friend. You.."

Ratchet's words tremble, and he regains his composure with shaking hands and a deep breath.

"You changed my life. In all the years I've known you, you've saved me in ways I can't possibly say, or even begin to repay you for. Thanks for everything, Clank. When your time comes, I'll be waitin' for ya, pal. We all will."

The projection shifts its position a bit. It seems to be turning its gaze to Nova, as impossible as that is.

"To the person Orvus sent my piece with: At the time of this recording, I have no idea who you're gonna be, or what you're gonna be. I hope that when you two meet, the universe is kind to you in whatever you two decide to be. Take care of him, kid, and thank you."

The holo-Ratchet fizzles out, silence filling the room as the bluish tint disappears. The brooch is released with a click, and Nova holds the piece for a moment, gliding a thumb over the polished stone.

Clank is the first to break the silence. "I never knew Ratchet left this, I..thank you for showing me, Nova. It means a lot to me to hear his words."

Nova rubs her eyes, her own voice shaking. "Clank, can I ask you what he said?"

The little robot presses a button on his chest, and his shutters move slightly to reveal a small speaker.

"Clank!"

"Ratchet? How did you find me?"

"You kiddin' me? You think I'd leave my best pal out here alone?"

The recording ends, and Nova sniffles at the relief in their voices. I was that promise. Ratchet gave his blessing for them to be whatever they chose to be. 'Cosmic insurance', 'your life is yours'...

"Nova?"

Nova embraces him tighter than ever before, body trembling with relief. "I was meant to meet you, and now I have. There's no other destiny. My life..really is mine to live. It always has been."

As clarity returns to her vision, Nova releases Clank, picking up the time capsule and closing it. After putting the thing back where she found it, she raises her head to the stars, closing her eyes in a mumbled prayer. "Thank you, Orvus, Ratchet."

Nova rises to her feet, grabbing a clump of her own clothes and her harness. "You know what? I think it's time for a wardrobe change." She walks off to the living room, searching the drawers for something.

At this point, Clank's unsure if something in the young woman snapped. "What are you looking for?"

"Where'd I put that thing..Oh!" A needle and thread is removed from the winning drawer. The inspired woman excitedly piles the garments next to the desk chair. Searching the desk's drawer, she finds the scissors she needed. The inky leggings are discarded, no further changes coming to mind, but Nova holds out the plain blue sweatshirt to Clank. "Do you mind if I make some changes?"

"No, that shirt is yours to do as you wish to. What do you have in mind?"

She turns away from him, stretching out the material to brainstorm exactly what she's got in mind. "I want to show the universe that I'm not afraid of it anymore; that I'm embracing the future, and the past that brought me here." Scissors in hand, she prepares to make the first cut.

Clank hears the slice of cloth, and watches as the sleeve is draped over the edge of the work space. The second strip soon follows. "You are exposing your arms. Are you certain of this? You were very determined to not show them before."

She responds, her eyes not leaving the work in progress. "Mhm, I'm sure. No makeup, no cloth, no tricks. I'm ready for this, I just need to find the perfect time." In the corner of her eye, she sees Clank reach for the scraps to dispose of them, but Nova waves her hand over them to stop him. "I'll still use the cloth, I'm not done yet. I'll clean up afterwards, don't worry."

Clank backs off, turning to leave Nova to her work, but she stops before he gets too far. "I wouldn't mind the company though." The warm look she gives at the request threatens to turn to a blush, and she quickly tries to justify herself. "And, uh, it would help to have an outside opinion on the new design!"

Clank pulls up a stool, getting a better look at what she's working with. "Where would you like to go from here?"