(AN: Alright, next chapter! Man, having coherent updates is so nice.
Anyway, when we last left off, Ratchet and Clank were getting sucked into a black hole. Where are they now? Will they escape OK? Let's find out to see...)
Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment.
Light. That's all Ratchet could see, just the blinding white light.
"Am I… dead?" he thought.
Ratchet opened his eyes and saw that he was flat on the grassy ground. He got up and wiped the dirt off his fur and pants, looking around at his surroundings. He seemed to be in a forest, various trees blowing in the wind. Ratchet went into his thoughts and remembered all that had happened, the black hole and being sucked into it.
"QUARK! HE TRICKED ME!" yelled Ratchet. "I'm gunna get my revenge on him when I return home!"
It was then, when Ratchet remembered that he was forgetting someone, Clank. Ratchet's anger turned into fear.
"Clank!? Clank where are you!?"
Ratchet looked around; there was no sight of the robot anywhere.
"CLANK!" he yelled.
It was then that he could see a piece of metal sticking out from near him, black smoke rising from it. The lombax ran over to it and saw the sight. What was left of his ship was now just a pile of scrap, every single part of the ship damaged majorly. On the ground, lay Clank, eyes shut.
"Clank! Clank, please tell me you aren't gone!"
Ratchet picked Clank up and shook him, hoping to wake him up. After a few moments, Clank's green eyes began to blink.
"Ratchet? Is that yo-"
Clank was interrupted by Ratchet hugging him tightly.
"Clank! Thank goodness you're OK!"
"Yes yes, I'm glad to see you're OK too. Now, where are we?"
"I don't know, it looks like a normal forest. Do you think we're at the place Quark wanted us to go?"
"It doesn't look like it, but if we are, take any weapons."
Ratchet put Clank down on the floor and walked over to the destroyed ship. Finding the compartment (which was damaged slightly unlike the rest of the ship) where Ratchet stored his weapons, he opened it up and found nothing.
"W-What? Where's all my weapons?" Ratchet asked.
"They should be there…" Clank said.
"They aren't! Every single one is gone!"
"Even the RYNO?"
"Even the RYNO."
"This is definitely not good; you don't have something to defend yourself with."
It was then that Ratchet could see his Omniwrench on the floor, he picked it up.
"Hm, guess it's better than nothing."
"Agreed, now I feel that we should explore the area."
"Good thinking, Clank, let's do just that."
Trees and nothing else. This was all that the lombax and robot encountered as they walked, not finding a single source of life anywhere.
"This is dumb, are we seriously stuck in some dumb forest?" complained Ratchet.
"I don't think so anymore Ratchet, look! There's a path!" Clank pointed forward, pointing to a dirt path.
"Alright! Let's follow it!" Ratchet took Clank on his back and ran across the fallen leaves on the ground, reaching the path in just seconds.
"Hmm." Ratchet put his hand and his chin and scratched his fur. "Left or Right?"
"Left seems to be going forward." observed Clank. "Let's go there."
"Alright, left it is!"
Ratchet walked the dirt path, which minutes later, seemed never ending.
"Is this all there is? Just dirt and trees?"
"Ratchet, I'm certain that there will be something, just keep walking."
While Ratchet was in very good athletic condition, he found himself getting tired from all the walking.
"Screw this; I'm taking a small break. Not only that, I'm getting hungry."
"I don't know how to tell you this, Ratchet, but this environment doesn't seem like the area where food would grow."
"That's a bunch of lies, Clank! I'm gunna go search for food!"
Thirty minutes later, Ratchet came back with just 8 nuts found on a tree and 5 berries he found growing on a bush. Before Ratchet could eat them, Clank stopped him.
"Ratchet, you have no idea if those are poisonous. Let me check them."
"Alright, but hurry up, I'm starving."
Clank took the nuts and berries from Ratchet and opened his metallic body, placing the food into himself; he closed his body shut as his system did a scan for any toxins. Fortunately, none were found, meaning it was safe for Ratchet to eat them. As soon as Clank opened his body, Ratchet swiped the nuts and berries and scarfed them down.
"Ratchet, you shouldn't have wasted them all like that. What will you do later?"
"I'm starving, Clank, give me a break. Well, not the most appetizing thing I had, but hey, not like I was expecting a five star dish. Anyway, let's keep going."
At last, when it seemed that it was just nothing but dirt and trees, Ratchet could make out stone steps.
"Clank! Look! There's something over there!"
Ratchet ran to the steps and climbed them, now on top of some area surrounded by columns.
"OK… is that it?"
Ratchet could feel the wind blowing through his fur, hearing waves crashing on something.
"Wait… waves?"
Ratchet down below him and saw the cliff was a very long way down, water surrounding him. While the lombax didn't have a fear of heights, just looking down made him feel like he did. Clank's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Ratchet… look."
Ratchet looked up and saw one of the grandest sights he had ever seen. He was staring at a large castle, bigger than any building on Metropolis. Ratchet could see a closed gate, meaning that the entrance was sealed.
"Well, there goes that, C'mon Cla-"
Rumbling interrupted him.
"Whoa! Clank, hold onto me!"
Ratchet watched as somehow, the gate started opening by itself. What also was strange was that a bridge was starting to peek out from both the castle and where Ratchet and Clank were standing. The two connected, letting Ratchet pass.
"It's like it's inviting us in." said Ratchet.
"Be careful, Ratchet, we don't know what's going on." said Clank.
"Alright. C'mon" Ratchet gripped onto his Omniwrench tightly as he took his first step onto the bridge. He took normal baby steps that then turned into normal walking seconds later. Ratchet once again looked down at the sea.
"Man, it's like I could fall down just staring at it."
"Don't tempt yourself, Ratchet, let us keep moving."
Ratchet and Clank were now half way across the bridge; many things going into the lombax's head, mainly: "Where are we and what is this place?"
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the lombax and robot crossed the entire bridge and entered some sort of front area. Various stone pillars with torches were in a straight line to the side, the crackling of the fire being the only thing Ratchet and Clank heard.
"Ratchet, there's a couch over there. Perhaps we should take a break."
Ratchet looked towards Clank's direction and saw a stone couch. Mystified by it, he walked up to it and the couch started glowing.
"Whoa! Clank… is this supposed to do that?"
"I'm… not sure. Ratchet… where are we?"
"Either the past judging from this castle, or the future. Either way, I'm not liking one bit of it."
"Perhaps I could do a data scan of the area. Meanwhile, why don't you rest?"
"Sure pal"
Ratchet got on the couch and sprawled on it, stretching.
"Man, I've never felt this tired before! Even after walking on all the planets we went on."
"Well try to save your energy, when you wake up, we'll explore more of this place."
Ratchet's eyes began to grow heavy as he soon napped, Clank beginning to do his scan.