(AN: This chapter's kinda fillery, but hey, it is just exploring through the castle. It's important that Ratchet and Clank get used to their surroundings after all.

However, next chapter is when things start to pick up. As for now though? Well, you gotta read :P)

Like always, Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Ratchet's eyes fluttered as he woke up from his small nap, sprawled on the couch. He rubbed his eyes and stretched as he got up from the couch.

"Oh hello, Ratchet." said Clank, walking up to Ratchet.

"Hey Clank, did that area scan while I was sleeping?"

Clank's face fell. "Ratchet… I tried but… I couldn't find anything… Not even what this planet it…"

Ratchet rubbed his chin. "So, looks like we're stuck here?"

"It seems so."

"Well… if we're stuck, might as well explore this place, c'mon, Clank. Let's go."

Ratchet took ahold of his Omniwrench, and walked to an entrance on the stone path.

The lombax and robot found themselves in a large area, various stone walls around the area with a bridge.

"How do you suppose we get up there?" asked Ratchet.

"Hmm, well there is an opening right there, let's check it.

As Ratchet and Clank entered the large opening under the bridge, they found no way to go up, though all there were was graves.

"Great, how are we eve-"

Ratchet stopped when he saw stone stairs that he hadn't seen before.

"Oh, never mind then."

Walking up the steps, they went down a stone path and up another flight of stone stairs where another large entrance stood.

"OK, I think we should go here."

"Ratchet, look! There are bombs here!"

Ratchet looked where Clank was; the robot was attempting to lift up a bomb.

"Alright! Now this is what I call a weapon!"

However, the lombax found himself having trouble lifting up the bomb, despite all the strength he had accumulated in his last three adventures.

"A-Argh! What is this stuff made out of?!"

Ratchet dropped the bomb, letting himself catch his breath.

"OK… looks like I'm not taking this."

"Speaking of hidden stuff, how about we check over there to see if there's anything?"

Ratchet walked forward to the other side of the wall, where near it, an opening lay.

"Woah… hey, Clank, where do we head?"

"This may be hard to conclude… To tell you the truth Ratchet, I feel we should go that way."

"Alright, c'mon."

As Ratchet went forward, he found another couch, and another courtyard with graves.

"Well isn't this exciting. C'mo-"

Ratchet was cut off suddenly as he saw something on the ground, something that terrified not only Clank, but himself. A large dark circle was forming on the ground; Ratchet could hear some sort of noise as just then, a dark figure popped out of the circle, along with another. Ratchet could see the figure come at them.

"Clank, watch out!"

Ratchet swung his Omniwrench at the figure and it seemed to be hurt, as the figure reacted to the wrench's swing. After two swings, the figure fell onto the ground, and the dark matter that formed it dissipated into the air.

Thinking it was the only one, Ratchet was caught off guard when another dark figure grabbed him. Though due to his strength, the lombax was able to get free and start attacking the figure. Running a hand through the fur on his forehead, he looked to the side and saw Clank being picked up by a dark figured shaped like a spider.

"CLANK!" Ratchet screamed as he ran towards the now fast pacing spider figure. Attacking it from its underside to not hurt Clank, the figure disappeared and the robot fell onto the ground.

"Get on my back Clank, hurry!"

Clank scurried onto Ratchet's back as a figure with wings flew towards them. Ratchet threw his Omniwrench at the flying figure, hitting it precisely as it fell onto the ground and disappeared.

"Ratchet, those pools are disappearing!"

Ratchet watched as the dark pools that the figures came from disappeared. He took various deep breaths, collecting his thoughts.

"Clank… *huff huff* what were those?"

"I… I have no idea. Were they living?"

"I don't know, but I'm not liking the way this castle is right now."

"Me neither, I feel something's not right with this place either."

Ratchet noticed a large, open gate in front of him.

"Well, guess there's no way but to go forward."

The duo went down the stairs to the lower level and went into the gate, passing into a somewhat large room with a lowering, along with a crate to climb on to go to the other side.

"Not like I needed that crate to climb by when I have you Clank, but still, it's thoughtful."

Ratchet and Clank went down onto the lowering (noticing a chain on the way, but didn't bother climbing it) and climbed onto the crate, reaching the other side. Before the lombax and robot went into the next area, Clank stopped and noticed two idols on each side of the wall.

"Ratchet, what are these?"

Ratchet stopped and looked at the idols. Scratching his chin, he put his hand on the idol, which was very cold to the touch.

"I dunno, are these doors?"

"If they are, they seem like kinds of doors never seen by anyone before, not only that, it seems like someone has already opened these."

"Clank… are you saying that you think someone else is in this castle?"

"I don't know, but it could be a possibility."

"Who'd wanna stay at a place like this?"

"Even that I do not know."

"Anyway, let's move on."

The blinding light of the outside were the first thing Ratchet noted, the second thing being a large windmill.

"Woah… how are we gunna advance from here?" said Ratchet.

"First, let's explore our area." responded Clank.

The duo looked around their area, though they still couldn't keep their eyes off the windmill. Ratchet seemed to have his interests more in the windmill, as he was caught off guard when he reached the edge of the cliff.

"WOAH!"

Ratchet was able to get his balance back and saved himself from a life-killing fall.

"Ratchet! You should have payed attention to where you were stepping! What if you had gotten killed!"

"Sorry Clank, I just can't keep my eyes off that windmill. Think we have to climb that?"

"Not particularly. Take a look in front of you."

Ratchet saw a bridge in front of him, although the entire bridge was connected.

"Alright, Clank get on my back. We're gliding there." The robot got onto the lombax's back. Crouching down, Clank activated his thruster pack and glided over to the other side of the bridge. Landing his feet onto the ground, Ratchet scaled up rocks and found yet another opening with more idols.

"What do these mean?" asked Ratchet.

"Along with many other things, I don't know."

Ratchet entered the next area, stone walls surrounding him with a chain in the middle.

"I've never climbed these before; let's see if I can do it."

Grasping the chains with his hands, Ratchet climbed the chain and reached the top, yet more idols stood there as another opening stood.

"Well, let's go." Ratchet said as they entered the next area. More stone walls surrounded him, though this time a strange device stood in the corner.

"What's that?" said the lombax, going up to it.

"Ratchet, don't touch it if you have no idea what it is."

It was too late, as Ratchet wrapped his hand around what seemed to be a lever. Pulling it down, the strange device raised up and stopped at a much higher area.

"Was… was that an elevator?" said Ratchet.

"I believe so… I still don't understand; is this the past of future?" said Clank.

"I still have no clue." said Ratchet, looking around his surroundings. Finding another crate, Ratchet climbed onto it and reached a higher location. He noticed the large gap in the middle that went down to the bottom of the sea, meaning instant death for both the lombax and robot.

"Idea. How about I get a running start, then leap, and then you activate the thruster pack?" said Ratchet.

"We may not know how this goes, but… we have a chance."

Ratchet walked over to the edge of the wall and ran as fast as he could. Reaching the end of a bridge of sorts, Ratchet leaped just as Clank activated the thruster pack. He reached the other side, but only barely, as he has hanging off the other side by just his fingertips. Looking down at the bottom, Ratchet cringed, never seeing something so terrifying before. Despite him seeing various bottomless pits back on the Solana and Bogon Galaxies, something about the castle's bottomless pits gave him a sense of dread.

Picking himself up, Ratchet got one of his legs onto the floor and got back on the ground.

"Well, never doing that again. Let's keep going now."

Another set of paths and yet another set of idols near an opening.

"Y'know, I'm getting a bit tired of seeing these things. I still have no idea what they do!"

"Let's not complain Ratchet. At least they're letting us pass."

"Well yeah, but still…"

Going into the opening, yet more light entered Ratchet's eyes as he saw a much larger stone path to a large building.

"Guess we have no choice."

Ratchet and Clank went down the large path, taking around a minute and half to reach the opening of the building to the distance, more idols on the sides.

Entering inside, Ratchet could hear the door shutting behind him.

"Well, looks like there's no going back."

The lombax climbed up a ladder near him and got up to the top, Clank climbing off of him. Ratchet looked around, seeing another couch with what seemed to be two figures sleeping on it.

"Wait a minute..." Ratchet thought.

"What the hell?"

Ratchet and Clank walked up to the figures on the couch and began to watch a tan boy with what seemed to be horns on his head, and a pale white girl sleeping peacefully.