(AN: And so, we got the Gondola and Water Tower here folks! From how many chapters I have left to upload, the story's almost finished. Sad I know, but hey, I hope you guys have been enjoying it so far. Anyway, let's begin)
This is a message: Don't steal our characters unless you wish to be sued.
-Sony
Entering the new area, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda ran through a stone walkway and onto an elevator of sorts. The lombax pulled down the lever as the crane that held the gondola extended out. The gondola lowered down onto the floor down below as the four stepped out of it.
"I will give the queen this; her architecture for the castle is quite impressive for ancient times." Clank said.
"Yeah, too bad this entire place is made up of death traps." Ratchet responded.
Passing by a stone couch, the four went down some stairs and went forward, seeing another set of stairs. However once they reached them, they saw that it was practically impossible to reach the other side.
"Well, now what?" asked Ratchet.
Ico rubbed his chin as he noticed the pipe on the ground. He followed it and saw that it lead up towards a higher platform.
"There's only one way to know." The horned boy thought. He placed his hand around it and started climbing up.
"Woah, Ico what are you doing?" Ratcher asked.
"I think our way around this is up here!" he responded. Ico climbed up and saw on the other side, a large wooden tower of sorts. He ran over to the other side and began pushing it, the rusted wheels moving as it went along the track. Pushing it far enough until it reached the limit, Ico climbed up the wooden ladder and saw a walkway on the other side. He attempted to jump, but was at an angle, and hit face first into the wall.
"Ico are you OK?" Ratchet asked, cringing thinking about the impact. Ico rubbed his head.
"Y-Yes… I am OK. I just missed a jump, so I need to try again."
Climbing up the ladder again, Ico walked towards the end of the top and jumped ahead, finally landing on the other side. Looking at his surroundings, Ico could see a lever on the other side. He pulled it down and heard a rumbling noise.
Down below where Ratchet, Clank, and Yorda were, a bridge fell down near the stone steps, allowing the four access.
"Hey Ico! Looks like you got a bridge made! Now we can pass!" Ratchet yelled out. However, suddenly a familiar sight was forming in front of Ratchet and Yorda.
"Oh no… a shadow pool…" Clank said. "Ico! You must come down immediately! The shadow creatures are coming!" he yelled out.
Hearing the robot's tone of voice, Ico climbed down the walkway and onto where the three were in record time just as the first of the shadow creatures began climbing out from the pool. A large creature went after Ratchet as the lombax swung his Omniwrench. While the creature was hit, they retaliated, slashing Ratchet on the chest as he fell to the ground.
Ico began swinging his mace as he started bringing down some of the shadow creatures. A few of the flying ones came down as Ratchet got up.
"We're being overwhelmed! Don't they give up?" Ratchet said.
Despite being brought down a few times, and having one point where Yorda was grabbed by a shadow creature (who was soon killed by Ratchet just as they began to walk towards the pool), Ico and Ratchet were successful in killing the remaining creatures.
"Man kid, you and I make a good team. If only I knew how it would be like if you came back with me." Ratchet said.
"I don't know… it would seem weird to me." Ico replied.
"Don't worry about it; they would know you're with me."
Just as the four began to start crossing the bridge, they could see shadow creatures waiting on the other side. Ratchet groaned.
"It's like they're waiting for us!"
Getting over to the other side, a typical battle ensued between the shadow creatures and the horned boy and lombax. After killing the very few shadow creatures, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda began to climb up the steps and into an opening for a cave.
Entering the dark, stone cave, the four walked their way up the stone pathway as they heard the sounds of rushing water. Going around some stone, the four crossed a bridge as they heard the water clearer. After traversing the wooden bridge, the four climbed up some more stone and out of the cave as they saw the morning sky in front of them.
Climbing down out of the cave, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico landed without problem, but Yorda yelped as she climbed down. Making sure she was OK, the four travelled on, making their way to the right down the walkway. They saw a branching path of stairs.
"Alright… up or down?" Ratchet asked.
"Up seems to lead somewhere." Ico said.
"Yeah but… you never could know where down could lead us."
"Look, I'm sure it's up."
"Well I think it's dow-"
Clank tugged at Ratchet's pants. The lombax looked at the robot as he gave Ratchet a stern look. Ratchet rolled his eyes.
"OK… we'll go up…"
Smiling from his plan going right, Ico lead the three up the stairs (holding onto Yorda's hand of course) and onto a platform. Seeing a sideways lever, Ico attempted to push it, but found that he was far too weak.
"Ratchet? Do you mind helping me push this?" The horned boy asked. Ratchet rubbed his gloves together as the two boys began pushing the lever. The mechanics of the wheels began grinding together as a gate shut behind the pale girl and the platform began rising up as lombax and human pushed the lever.
Halfway through however, Ico complained that his arms were hurting.
"I know they hurt, but we gotta press on! The queen deliberately made it like this!" Ratchet said, hoping to motivate Ico. With new found ambition, Ico continued pushing on, and the four finally reached the top. Ico and Ratchet stretched their arms.
"I don't know if I can even swing this." The horned boy said.
"Well, I don't know either but hey, gotta try right?" The lombax replied.
Walking into the new walkway, there was a stone couch by the corner. Ico sighed happily.
"Let's take a break for now. Do you think we should search for food?" he asked.
"Is there even food around here?" Ratchet replied.
"Like you said, we have to try and see if we can find any."
Ratchet collapsed onto the stone couch as it began glowing. "But I'm too tired to. Clank, do you think you can find anything?"
Clank was flabbergasted. "Ratchet, you do realize I cannot scan for any food sources around here? After all, outside there seems to be nothing, and even if there were an animal, we would still need to cook it."
"Then be it, we aren't eating."
"You'll become very thin doing that. I'll take you to a five star restaurant when we get home, it's on me."
Ratchet shot up, looking at his robotic friend. "Wait really? You mean it?"
"My treat."
Meanwhile, Ico and Yorda looked at the two. He didn't understand what a "restaurant" was, and felt it was appropriate to ask the two.
"Um… what is a restaurant?" he asked softly. Ratchet and Clank looked at the horned boy.
"Oh man! I forgot you didn't know what that was! Awh boy, a restaurant is so amazing! Like, they basically serve food at restaurants. All kinds of food you see."
"Food?" Ico asked, feeling his stomach beginning to rumble.
"Yeah, there's stuff like steak and cultural foods. There's also all you can eat buffets were you can eat anything. But then there's stuff like burgers and pizza and ice cream. Ohh man… I already miss it."
Despite never hearing of any of those foods before, Ico could tell they were tasty by the way Ratchet's mouth was watering.
"I would like to have some of those…"
"Hmm… tell you what, if by some reason we escape and you end up with us, we'll take you to a restaurant. Sound like a fair deal?"
Ico nodded happily.
"And what about you Yorda? Do you agree as well?"
Yorda looked at her hands, while she didn't understand a word of what came out of the strange animals' mouth, she could tell that Ico was happy. She nodded slowly.
"Then it's settled, we'll go to one. All of us, and I could even invite some of my friends to introduce them to you."
All the talk of food from Solana made Ratchet remember their quest. He got up from the couch and looked at the three.
"Well, if we're going to make that promise happen, we'll have to go on."
"We do. Let's continue." Ico replied. The four left the small little fort and saw a bridge on the other side, however it was broken slightly, meaning Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda had to jump across.
"Let me go first." Ratchet said. Clank climbed onto the lombax's back as he activated the Thruster Pack, flying to the other side. Ico took a running start as he hopped to the other side, climbing onto the bridge. He then held his hand out as Yorda also took a running start, jumping just in time for Ico to catch her. The horned boy pulled the pale princess up the bridge as they turned around.
Seeing a large tower near them, there was no other way to get to the building on the other side without climbing the pipe on the lower floor. Remembering Yorda, Ratchet grabbed her arms slightly and looked at her.
"Stay right here OK? If those shadow creatures come out, yell out as loud as you can. We'll be there faster than you can say "Son of a Quark"."
Ico was confused at what Ratchet said, but tried not to make much of it. The lombax and the horned boy dropped down and and climbed onto the pipe below. They began to move sideways to the other side as they came to a complete stop at the end.
"You drop off first; I don't want you to fall." Ratchet said. Ico climbed down and moved out the way to allow Ratchet some space. The two walked towards the wall and climbed up on some ledges. After reaching the top, Ratchet and Ico were in front of a split path of wooden walkways.
"So where do we go?" Ico asked. Ratchet took note of a chain near a raised up bridge.
"I think I know. Can you give me a boost here Ico?"
Ratchet walked over to the chain as Ico lifted Ratchet up, Clank activating the Thruster Pack so the lombax could reach the chain. He began to swing on it and took his hands off of it, pushing the bridge down with his arm. The bridge completely went down as Yorda stood by the edge on the other side. Ico walked over to the edge and held his hand out, Yorda jumping and grabbing onto it.
Pulling her up, the two wondered what to do now.
"Perhaps the side we didn't check?" Ico asked. The three walked over to the split path and went forwards, going down on a lower walkway. While getting Yorda down, Ico noticed a lit up fire.
"That's strange… there normally aren't lit fires around here…" he thought. He saw Ratchet climbing up to a large stone area.
"Whoa… bombs…" he heard him say. Ico ran over to the area Ratchet was in and saw a row of ten bombs lined up. Along with that, he saw two sticks on the ground.
"Ico… you know what I'm thinking?"
"Huh?"
Ratchet grinned. "It's time to blow $!& up."
With a bomb right near the walkway, Ratchet nodded at Ico as the horned boy light up the stick in his hand. He walked over to the bomb and ignited it. Quickly, the two lifted it as hard as they could and swung the bomb a few times. After a few swings, Ratchet and Ico threw the bomb onto a wooden tower near the walkway. The tower collapsed as it hit a bridge on the top floor, toppling it onto the walkway above. Ratchet cheered at the result.
"Alright! We did it! And we got a huge explosion!" he said gracefully.
Ico ran back to the area and grabbed the mace he dropped to get the stick, running back to the walkway. He climbed on it and pulled Yorda up as usual. The three made their way to the bridge and onto the other side, where a lone chain sat. Ico ran over to it and climbed up the chain, getting to the top. He saw a box towards the left of the intersecting path and walked over to it, pushing it down to the lower floor, where a pair of idol statues lay.
Seeing as towards the left, there was a ledge that was too high to reach normally, Ico pushed the block to the wall and climbed up towards the ledge. He saw a lever to his left and pulled it. From behind him, a chain that was in between two wooden structures moved, allowing Ico to climb on it, though he couldn't as a fence blocked the path.
Going down from the ledge, Ico climbed the ladder towards the other side of the walkway and back on the wooden walkway. He stood in front of the chain as he saw a large lever on the other side. Jumping across the edge like a deer, Ico grasped on the chain as he began to swing back and forth. He then propelled himself off the chain as he held onto the edge as hard as he could, getting his balance and the strength to pull himself up.
Finally pulling himself up, Ico ran to the lever and began to push it. After some time, a large crate being held by a rope shot out from a side, allowing his three friends access. Just as Ratchet leaped to the crate and held his hand out for Yorda, a familiar feeling overcame him as a dark pool formed neared the pale princess.
"Oh no you don't!" Ratchet thought. Just as a large shadow creature came running towards Yorda, Ratchet attacked it with his wrench. Ico saw what was happening down below as he jumped to the chain, hurrying to help his new friend. Ratchet swung his Omniwrench left and right, defending himself and Yorda against the shadow creatures until Ico arrived to help the lombax.
"Man, if only I had my weapons! It would make things easier!"
Despite complaints, Ratchet was able to defeat them all as Ico finally arrived.
"I apologize for… being late…" Ico said, taking deep breaths.
"Don't worry Ico. Yorda's fine, and that's all that matters." Ratchet replied. He jumped on the crate as the horned boy followed behind them, reaching out his hand for Yorda. After getting the princess across from point A to point B, they stood in front of the idol statues.
"Well Yorda?" Ratchet asked. Yorda walked in front of the idol statues as the same electricity came out from Yorda, lighting up and then opening the statues. The four entered the newly opened area.
In the new room, Ico soon realized that they have all been in this room before, but not on this side. Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda walked down the walkway and into a part of the room with yet another pair of idol statues. The same electricity came out of Yorda and opened the way for the four.
Going into another newly opened area, Ratchet saw a familiar sight: the East Arena towards his left.
"Then that means to my right…" Ratchet thought as he looked to the right. He saw a large building off in the distance. The four traversed the long stone pathway until reaching the set of idol statues. Yorda opened the way as she went in first, prompting Ico, Ratchet, and Clank to follow after her.