Disclaimer: Ratchet and Clank and all related characters, locations, and concepts belong to Insomniac Games. All other ideas and characters are my own. I am not a lawyer.
Author's Note:
I should really be doing schoolwork right now. Still, one can only endure so many tests and essays and assignments before breaking down and writing angsty fanfiction. Beware potentially convoluted verb tenses; I've been doing a lot of work in French lately, and sometimes that carries over into my English writing. Emotions are a challenge for me to write, too, but I tried to play with them a bit here anyway.
Many thanks to all those who have taken the time to write reviews; they are very much appreciated! I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing.
Chapter summary: Ratchet's stuck on a planet in the middle of nowhere, and he can't sleep. Spoilers for A Crack in Time.
4. Dark
The night sky was cloudless, yet dim.
Most of the stars were hidden by thick clouds of dust and gas The few of them that were visible in this part of the universe could be counted on one hand. They seemed to burn half-heartedly, as if they were expecting to go supernova at any moment.
Ratchet lay on the ground, on his side. He hadn't been able to fall asleep in Aphelion's cockpit. The ship had suggested that he try sleeping outside instead, thinking that maybe the sounds of nature would lull him to sleep.
The hypercrickets had been chirping earlier, but their singing had died down. Ratchet's ears twitched. Now, he could only hear the faint hum of Aphelion in standby mode.
The Lombax rolled over onto his other side. He closed his eyes, trying to relax even though he knew that sleep wasn't going to come to him anytime soon. Ratchet sighed, and opened his eyes to stare at the ground beside him. There was grass, just like on Veldin, but this grass had a sharper smell. The smell tickled his nose. He tried to resist the urge to sneeze.
Ratchet sneezed anyway.
The Lombax shifted, trying to find a spot where the grass wasn't in his face. He didn't want to lie on his back and face the dark, empty sky. He couldn't bear to look at it—not when the emptiness only served to remind him of what he was missing.
Things were different when Clank wasn't around. Ratchet needed to be extra careful in battles, now that nobody was around to watch his back. It made him nervous; he was used to having Clank warn him when someone was attacking him from behind. Aphelion did what she could, but she couldn't follow him everywhere. They kept in touch through the radio when necessary, though neither of them ever had much to say.
Ratchet sneezed again. The smell of the grass was getting too strong to bear. He sighed, and finally rolled over onto his back.
Ratchet looked up at the sky. Its emptiness was striking; the sky was a sea of blankness punctuated by a few dim, reddish stars. He focused on one of the stars, realizing that he had no idea what its name was. The constellations on this planet were completely different from anything back home. He was grateful for Aphelion's star maps. If not for her help, he would have gotten lost a long time ago.
Still, Ratchet was lost in another sense. He was at a loss for what to do. What could he do? For a while, Talwyn had helped him search for Clank. Eventually, though, she had left with Cronk and Zephyr to search for her father. Ratchet didn't blame her for that; he could understand that she wanted to find her family. He respected her decision, even if he wasn't entirely happy with it.
Shortly after Talwyn had left, Qwark had suddenly decided that he was in the mood for some adventure. Aphelion had convinced Ratchet to let him tag along, thinking that the Lombax needed some more company. Ratchet regretted having allowed her to convince him. So far, Qwark had been nothing but trouble. All the little mishaps notwithstanding, the so-called 'superhero' had now managed to get kidnapped. Ratchet was forced to put his search on hold to go rescue Qwark. As annoying as he was, Ratchet wouldn't let him die.
Actually, if Qwark hadn't been kidnapped, Ratchet wouldn't have had any idea about what to do next. He'd come to a dead end. The Zoni weren't giving him any clues, and Ratchet still had trouble shaking the feeling that they were evil in some way.
Ratchet stared up at the dark sky again, searching for something, anything that would give him a clue…
"Ratchet," Aphelion asked, "is everything all right?"
Her sensors must have picked up the fact that he was still awake. Aphelion never needed to sleep, so she spent the night watching over Ratchet. He appreciated the gesture, but he didn't want the ship to worry about him.
"I'm fine," Ratchet said.
He shifted his gaze to another of the dying stars. Aphelion knew that he was lying.
"I miss him, too," she said.
Ratchet blinked, trying to stop his eyes from filling with tears. He swallowed.
"I won't give up 'till I find him."
"I know," Aphelion said.
A meteorite flashed across the sky, illuminating it for a brief instant. Ratchet settled into the grass, trying to get comfortable. He sighed.
It was going to be a long night.