(AN: Well, here it is, the epic finale to Lost Souls. I have been proudly working on this fic since October, and have become excited at the work I have produced in the past few months.
I wish to give all my thanks now, but I'm sure you want to read how our story ends for Ico, Yorda, Ratchet, and Clank. So I'll do just that and wait until the end to give my thanks.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the last Chapter (the longest so far), and I hope you've enjoyed Lost Souls overall.
One last thing to note: There will be "Mood Music" intervals. In that moment, go on like, Youtube to search up the song listed in the mood music. It helps with the mood :P)
And hey, for old times sake? Why not? For one last time...
Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment
"Ico, you feeling fine now?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm feeling better."
"Then let's head out."
Ico and Ratchet got up from the floor as they looked straight ahead. They knew the last stretch before the queen was coming up, and the horned boy and the lombax knew to prepare hard.
Heading straight, the two went through a hole in the wall as they saw a new room, which was very massive, and extended up quite far.
"Whoa…" Ratchet said. "This is gunna be hard to figure out where to go."
Ratchet's word wasn't true yet, as by the end of the pipes, a chain sat by the left. Ico climbed down on the chain as Ratchet looked back at him, following right behind him. The two swinged on the chain before jumping to the ledge on the other side. Ico was about to head towards the right, before Ratchet stopped him.
"Ico, we don't have time to do this. Who knows what the queen is doing with Yorda." he said.
"What are you talking about, Ratchet?" Ico replied.
Ratchet gave a grin. "We're taking a shortcut."
Ico didn't understand what he meant until he saw Ratchet looking down. Ico suddenly got what he meant.
"W-Wait! Ratchet, we can't!-"
Ico was interrupted as Ratchet grabbed him by the armpits and jumped down. Ico almost screamed before he heard Ratchet yell: "NOW, CLANK!"
Clank activated the Thruster Pack, causing the trio to slowly descend to the lowest floor. Upon reaching ground, Ratchet shot his arms in the air.
"Woo! Wasn't that cool or what?" he exclaimed.
"I… I thought I was going to die!" Ico yelled.
"Don't worry, Ico. I deal with scarier stuff a lot. Besides, I wasn't going to kill us."
"Well… Okay…"
Looking behind them, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico saw a pair of idol statues behind them.
"Idol statues? Why are they here?" Ratchet asked.
"And how will we pass them without Yorda?" Clank asked as well. Ico looked at the two statues before looking around.
"This room… it feels like I've been here before." Ico thought. He then noticed a cavern leading out of the room.
"Ratchet, Clank, let's go through there." he said, pointing towards the location. Ratchet and Clank followed right behind Ico.
Upon hearing the waves of the sea, and the familiar rock cavern, Ico gasped as he suddenly remembered everything. His boat ride along with the various people from Toksa Village, one of the men grabbing the sword before-
"That's it!" The horned boy exclaimed. Ratchet and Clank looked at Ico.
"What's it?" Ratchet asked.
"This room, I've been here before. When the people of my village took me to the castle, they came here first. I remember them taking a sword, and that sword is what opened the idol statues in the room we were just in."
"Sword? Where was it at?" Clank asked.
"I remember them grabbing it from over there."
Ico pointed to a stone altar far into the distance. Taking his word, the trio decided to go there. Passing by a boat (which Ico had mentioned was the boat he came by), and following up the stone path, they finally reached the altar. A glowing sword lay on the altar as Ico picked it up, looking at the lights illuminating from it.
"Whoa… that's sweet." Ratchet complimented. All of a sudden, some of the electricity generating from the sword started to hit the lombax's Omniwrench. Ratchet was almost caught off guard, had it not been that he felt no pain, but instead, his hand felt tingly. He looked at his weapon, which had also started to glow and generate electricity from it.
"Ratchet, your Omniwrench! When that sword came close to it, your weapon seems to have absorbed some of its power." Clank explained.
"But how? It can't do that on its own." Ratchet replied.
"Hm… my theory is going to sound absurd, but I believe it is yours and Ico's bond."
"Bond?" Ico asked.
"Yes. From how you two have worked together, your weapons have fused to have the same power. It recognized your bond, and knew that you would be working together in the end."
"Bond…" Ico said to himself. "We have a strong bond, don't we, Ratchet?"
"Yup, ya betcha, Ico! Now, we can finally open those idol statues and give the queen a piece of her mind!"
The three left the altar and headed down.
Meanwhile, the Queen watched Ratchet, Clank, and Ico through her mind. She grew angrier as she saw the sword in Ico's hand.
"So, those three refuse to die. No worries, I shall let my army take care of this."
The Queen began to unleash a set of shadow creatures from the sarcophagi all throughout the room.
"This is getting interesting and interesting, isn't it… dear?"
The Queen looked at Yorda, who was nothing but stone.
"We'll see how well your friends fare before they must face me."
The Queen vanished out of the room as the shadow creatures circled around the stone Yorda.
Back with Ratchet, Clank, and Ico, the horned boy and the lombax stared at the idol statues in front of them.
"Ready, Ico?" Ratchet asked.
"Ready."
The two held out their weapons as the same burst of electricity that Yorda would emit, came out of the sword and the Omniwrench. The idol statues lit up as they moved out of the way. Ratchet felt chills up his spine.
"Are we getting close?" he asked.
"I believe so. They took me up here next."
Going inside, a large circular room was present with a lever by the side. Ico pulled the lever as various cranks and mechanics worked underneath the three. The floor began to rise up and take Ratchet, Clank, and Ico to the top level.
Upon reaching the top, the elevator stopped as by the entrance, idol statues blocked the way out. Ratchet, Clank, and Ico walked towards the statues, holding out their weapons as the statues lit up and opened from behind.
"Alright, now where are we?" Ratchet asked.
"This is the room I was taken to be sacrificed." Ico replied.
"Wait, really?"
"Yes."
Ico walked forward and climbed the stairs to the left as Ratchet and Clank followed after him. They saw the horned boy staring at a sarcophagus.
"I was imprisoned here before an earthquake caused me to escape." he explained. "It's hard to believe it's been that long ago."
"Glad to be out of that huh?" Ratchet asked.
"Yes. It was dreadful, and not to mention, cramped. I don't know why they would sacrifice kids in there."
Suddenly, Clank gasped. "Ratchet, Ico, look!" he exclaimed, pointing to an area that was above where the three were. Ratchet and Ico gasped as they saw a large amount of shadow creatures dancing around something.
"Oh no, it's only normal the Queen would have them here. Prepare yourself Ico, this is gunna be a long fight." Ratchet said. However, Ico noticed there was something off about the shadow creatures.
"They don't look like the ones we've faced… they look like… me…" The horned boy thought. The three moved forward as the creatures noticed the trio.
(Mood Music ~ Shadow - ICO)
They began to come towards Ratchet and Ico. The two swung their weapons as they were killed in just one hit. More and more of them began to come towards them.
"This is getting too much! Alright, I'll take the left, Ico, you take the right!" Ratchet yelled.
"I understand."
Moving to their locations, Ratchet swung his Omniwrench at the shadow creatures who came towards him. However, something was lingering in his mind.
"I don't get it… why aren't they attacking like the other shadow creatures? Are they different?" Ratchet thought. Just by him however, one of the stone sarcophagi began to light up like the idol statues.
"Huh?"
Despite his killing of a few more shadow creatures, that sight mystified Ratchet. He also took note that some of the creatures looked different.
"As if they look like… Ico…"
And suddenly, just as he swung at the next shadow creature, it suddenly hit Ratchet as to who he and Ico were fighting.
They were fighting the spirits of the sacrificed children.
Ratchet felt a chill go up his spine as he gave a soft prayer for the departed children.
"Ratchet? Are you OK? You look a bit pale." Clank asked.
"Clank… I'm fighting kids… the spirits of the sacrificed children that Ico mentioned. I don't think I'll sleep well knowing that…"
The robot looked around at the glowing sarcophagi, a new one lighting up at times.
"Don't worry, Ratchet. You aren't killing them… I believe… you're putting them to rest."
"Rest?"
"Yes… these souls were controlled by the Queen. You and Ico are freeing them from her clutches."
"Freeing…"
"Clank… you're right… we're freeing them…"
As two shadow creatures came towards the lombax, he attacked with his Omniwrench with new found confidence.
Meanwhile, Ico was on the balcony, getting rid of the last few of the shadow creatures. Only one sarcophagus remained, and Ico saw it on the ground below.
He jumped off the balcony and landed perfectly on the ground, attacking the last shadow creature. Ratchet and Clank met up with Ico as by the area where the shadow creatures first were, a rumbling could be felt.
(/End Mood Music)
"Well, where else is there to go? Looks like we're following the source of that." Ratchet said. The trio went up the stairs and to the base resting yet another path of stairs. However, Clank gasped as he saw who was in the middle.
"Oh… oh dear… is that…"
Ratchet and Ico got a closer look at the sitting girl who was turned into stone, a blank expression on her face.
"It is guys… it's Yorda…" Ratchet said. Ico looked down at the floor as Clank held his hands together, sorrow in his bright green eyes.
"It's awful…" The robot said.
"Don't worry, Clank. We will avenge Yorda." Ico said. He looked at the stairs, which led to a floor with yet another flight of stairs, which finally led to an entrance in the middle, blocked by idol statues.
Ratchet narrowed his eyes. "It's the end… Clank, buddy… Ico… are you guys ready?"
Clank nodded his head. "More than I've ever been Ratchet."
"Yes, I am." Ico replied.
The trio walked passed Yorda's statue as they headed up the two sets of stairs, standing in front of the idol statues. Ratchet and Ico held out their weapons as the last set of idol statues opened. The three went into the entrance and got on an elevator, bringing them up to a new room.
"I've never been here…" Ico said.
The trio was currently in a very cold room, cold enough to the point where even Ratchet could feel the chill. Ico shivered and rubbed his arms as Ratchet looked around the room, the only distinct thing in front of him were two statues and a large throne in the middle.
"And if there's a throne… this must be the Queen's throne…"
Ratchet, Clank, and Ico went straight ahead to the throne. The three looked around near it, got on top of it, and yet, found no sign of the Queen.
"Where is she?" Ico asked.
"I dunno, but I think we intimidated her. That's good, that'll teach her not to mess with us." Ratchet replied. "C'mon, there's nothing here. Maybe she's in another part of the castle."
Just as the trio was about to leave however, a voice rang out. A voice that made the hairs on Ratchet and Ico's neck rise up. A voice that the two would never forget from the encounters they've had.
"Wait."
Ratchet, Clank, and Ico turned around behind them as they saw a veil of black sitting on the throne. All of a sudden, a familiar pale white face flashed, revealing herself.
It was the Queen.
Ico and Ratchet grasped their weapons tightly as the lombax felt his rage pending up. The three slowly walked up to the Queen.
(Mood Music ~ Queen - ICO)
"Put your weapons down. I do not intend to hurt you." she said. Ico and Ratchet slowly lowered their weapons, but didn't let go.
"What did you do to her?" Ico asked.
"That's right! Start talking!" Ratchet yelled.
"Silence you two. You're all too late." The Queen said. "You must understand, my body has become too old, and won't last much longer. But… Yorda is going to grant me the power to be resurrected."
"How? How is she going to do that?!" Clank asked.
"Because, to be my spiritual successor is the fulfillment of her destiny! And when the next time her body wakes, Yorda will be no more."
"No more? So you're going to use your own daughter to keep on living? You're crazy! I bet you don't even care about Yorda!" Ratchet yelled.
"Silence, lombax! I only care about what's best for her! And you three have been getting in the way of her fulfilling her destiny."
The Queen stared deep into Ratchet and Ico's eyes.
"Now… lombax and sacrifice… put down your weapons and leave this castle. I'll even let you take a boat as a part of my generosity. After all… that is what she would want you to do."
Ratchet and Ico looked at the ground. Was this really what Yorda wanted? To let them escape, but have the Queen consume her life for her own good?
"No… it isn't… that's not what she would want us to do." Ratchet said. "She would want us… she would want us…"
And with a few deep breaths, Ratchet yelled out: "SHE WOULD WANT US TO KILL YOU!"
Ratchet held out his Omniwrench and looked at Ico. "ICO! NOW!"
The two yelled out as they ran towards the Queen. However, before they could hit the Queen, she let out a burst of electricity which sent Ratchet, Clank, and Ico flying back. Ratchet and Ico yelped as along with Clank, they tumbled to the ground at the back of the throne room. The sword and Ratchet's Omniwrench slashed into the ground near them, almost hitting the two.
(/End Mood Music)
Ratchet, Clank, and Ico got up as they all took deep breaths. Ratchet felt numerous scratches on his body as the side of Ico's head hurt immensely. Ratchet then gasped.
"I-Ico… your… your horn…"
The lombax picked up the severed right horn as fresh blood got on his gloves. He could see pain and agony in Ico's eyes as he stared at the Queen, blood pouring down the right side of his face.
"You three are nothing but nuisances. Do you all wish to die that much?" The Queen asked as she got off her throne. The three struggled to get up as Ratchet placed Clank on his back.
"You're safer here, buddy." Ratchet whispered. Staring into the Queen's eyes, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico knew the final battle against the Queen was ready to begin.
(Mood Music ~ Entity - ICO)
Grabbing the sword and the Omniwrench, Ico and Ratchet advanced forwards towards the Queen. As they did, the Queen yelled out and shot out a large field of darkness. Just as it started heading towards the horned boy and the lombax, they put their weapons up as the energy from their weapons blocked the attack.
"I didn't know these were that powerful!" Ratchet exclaimed.
"It seems so. Now, let us get the Queen and avenge Yorda!" Ico said.
"Got it!"
Upon reaching the Queen, the two could see her surrounded by a barrier. Hitting it with their weapons, the Queen gasped as Ico's sword and Ratchet's Omniwrench flew out of their hands from the impact. Running away from the Queen, the two could hear her yell out.
"Ratchet! Ico! Get behind the left statue!" Clank yelled from behind Ratchet's back. Ratchet and Ico followed Clank's advice and got behind the statue. The Queen's blast of darkness came through, and while the two could feel the chill, it didn't affect them in any way.
"We're alive?" Ratchet asked. As he heard the Queen send out another attack, he could see the statue glowing on the floor.
"The statue! It's protecting us!" Ico exclaimed.
"Now where's our weapons…"
Ratchet examined the room until he saw the sword and his Omniwrench on the other side of the room, stuck into the ground.
"Alright, Ico. On the count of three once the Queen finishes her attack, follow me. We're going to get our weapons."
"Will this work?" Ico asked.
"Sure it will. Now, on the count of three… one… two…"
Upon hearing the Queen make her next attack, Ratchet knew it was time.
"Three!"
The two ran from behind the statue as they headed to the other side of the room. Ratchet and Ico grabbed their weapons as the Queen shot out another beam of darkness. The two blocked it as they headed up the steps and swung at the Queen's barrier. With their weapons flung away, the two retreated to the idol statue on the right.
"Where are they now?" Ico asked. Ratchet saw them on the other side.
"Other side. Let's repeat what we did."
Doing the same plan as before, Ratchet and Ico were successfully able to grab their weapons and block the Queen's attack. Much like the past two times, Ratchet and Ico swung their weapons at the barrier; Queen gasps as their weapons are flung back, and finally, retreating back to the idol statue.
"This is going easier than I thought it was going to." Ratchet said. They saw their weapons closer to them, as it was on the left side of the steps leading to the throne.
"Once the Queen's finished with her next attack, let's bolt ass and grab them."
Ico nodded as they waited for the Queen's attack to be finished. They ran hastily to the stairs and grabbed their weapons, but not before having to block the beam of darkness.
"Geez, she's gunna keep doing this, huh?" Ratchet said. The two ran towards the barrier and just before the Queen could attack yet again, Ratchet and Ico hit the barrier, and their weapons were flung back as usual. As they retreated back to the idol statue, Ratchet and Ico saw their weapons stuck to the left wall.
"Remember; wait until the Queen's done. Alright?" Ratchet asked.
"Yes." replied Ico. As the Queen finished with her attack, the two ran to the wall and pulled their weapons out of it. They turned around and blocked another beam of darkness. Running up to the Queen, the two hit the barrier for the fourth and final time, as the Queen's barrier dissipated.
"No! I will not let you succeed, even if my barrier is gone!" The Queen yelled. The two quickly ran behind the idol statue as the Queen's attacks became more rampant.
"What are we going to do? Our weapons aren't here…" Ico said. Ratchet looked at the back of the room and saw the two weapons stuck in the ground.
"Ico… I need you to, along with me, pull back this idol statue. It's the only way we'll get across and get our weapons."
Ico nodded as the horned boy and lombax pulled back the idol statue. Waiting for their opportunity, Ratchet looked at Ico.
"Ico… I need you to, when I say go, run as fast as you can. Run like you've never run before."
"Why?"
"It's the only way we'll reach our weapons."
Standing behind the idol statue, and feeling the Queen done with her current attack, Ico and Ratchet ran as fast as they could to their weapons as the Queen set out another attack just as they did. Ratchet looked behind him as he felt the wave of darkness advancing faster and faster towards him.
"We won't make it!" Ico yelled.
"Yes we will!" Ratchet replied. Just before the wave could hit Ico and Ratchet, the two grabbed their weapons and blocked the attack.
"Just barely!"
Ico and Ratchet ran forwards as fast as they could, blocking a few more attacks. The Queen's face was full of fright as the horned boy and the lombax advanced towards her, readying their weapon.
"THIS IS THE LAST ONE!" Ratchet yelled. He rose up his Omniwrench while Ico raised up his sword as they made the final attack. Ico stabbed the sword into the Queen's heart as Ratchet attacked her stomach.
(/End Mood Music)
The Queen's gasp was echoed all across the room as she felt a dark, ink like blood come out from her. Ico and Ratchet breathed in an out as they looked into the Queen's dark eyes, face full of rage.
"Yorda… will never be able to escape this castle…" said the Queen in her last breaths. "Even if you two… take my life…"
As Ico saw her slowly close her eyes, he pulled out his sword from the Queen's heart. However, it was a terrible mistake, because as the Queen disappeared, she sent out one last strong bust of dark energy. Ico tried to hold onto his sword while Ratchet placed his hands on Ico's arms, but the burst of energy was just too much.
Ico and Ratchet were flung all the way to the wall on the right side of the room as their backs hit the wall. Clank came off of Ratchet's back as the impact was enough to shut his power off as Ico and Ratchet hit the floor with an "Oof!" The two passed out from the impact as Ico's left horn fell to the ground, and blood was pouring out from where his left horn was.
As the three laid on the ground, the castle began to rumble as dust from the ceiling came down. With the Queen's death, the castle was sure to fall with her too.
However… all was not as it seemed. Back in the room where Yorda was, the stone princess had continued to stay like she was.
That was, until the various sarcophagi started to glow. And then, from all fifty one sarcophagi, electricity shot out from each and every one, hitting Yorda. For a few seconds, nothing happened until some of the stone started to crack, and eventually, burst open entirely.
Yorda raised herself up as she looked at her hand, and then her body. The princess was now completely dark, with black electricity emanating from her. She knew what had happened; the Queen succeeded in using her. But, it seemed that she only fused her dark frame with Yorda's.
And speaking of her mother...
Yorda looked up at the entrance to her mother's throne room, and an instinct in her gut told her to go. Yorda began to walk up the steps and to the throne room.
The trio was still passed out on the floor as chunks of rock started to fall from the walls and the ceiling, hitting the ground. Just as more and more started to fall down, Yorda climbed up the steps towards her mother's throne. She looked to her right and saw the passed out Ico, Ratchet, and Clank.
She walked up to them and crouched down towards Ico, feeling the area where his horns were now gone. She then looked at Ratchet, who had an open wound on his right ear.
Knowing what she must now do, she flipped over Ico as she picked up Ratchet's small body, placing it on Ico's. Yorda then picked up Clank and place him on Ratchet's furry chest. And finally, the princess herself picked up Ico and looked at the three living (well, two technically) beings. She then walked out of the throne room as her instincts told her where to go.
(Mood Music ~ Collape - ICO)
All throughout the castle, the walls, ceilings, walkways, any part of a room began to crumble down. The bridges connecting two parts of the castle began to break and fall into the sea as the outside walls began to crumble as well. In the room with the broken bridge leading down, the floor collapsed as the bridge fell into the almost dark abyss.
And yet even with the destruction of the castle, Yorda still kept going, carrying Ico, Ratchet, and Clank at the same time as she began to go down the steps leading to the elevator. She turned around and watched as the Castle in the Mist; her home for years, was being destroyed more and more.
However, this didn't bother Yorda, as the destruction of the castle would lead to her freedom, and the end of the Queen's reign.
Going down the elevator, Yorda looked at the three she held. They looked calm, peaceful, like they were almost asleep. It was ironic to her that these three, the ones who had guided her through everything in the castle, would be the ones being saved by her
Upon reaching the dock, Yorda slowly walked towards the boat on the ground. More and more chunks of rock came out from the walls of the dock. She slowly placed Ico's body on the boat, moving Ratchet to another part of the boat, and Clank right next to the lombax.
Yorda placed her hands on the boat and moved it towards the sea. With a push, she watched as the boat started to move on its own.
(/End Mood Music)
(Mood Music ~ You Were There -ICO)
Watching the boat containing her friends move inch by inch, Yorda spoke one last time.
"Alluhuyas…"(1)
More and more of the ceiling began to crumble behind Yorda as she was ready to accept her fate; taking the Queen and the Castle in the Mist with her. She slowly turned around, and looked up.
As the boat left the cavern, a chunk of rock almost hit the boat as it slowly moved away from the castle.
"The island bathes in the sun's bright rays
Distant hills wear a shroud of grey…
A lonely breeze whispers in the trees
Sole witness to history…"
More and more of the castle began to fall into the sea. It soon came to a point where entire portions of the castle were coming apart. The back parts of the castle entirely came off, meeting its demise.
"Fleeting memories rise
From the shadows of my mind…"
As more and more rooms of the castle crumbled to the ground, the idol statues all began to light up. As if it was giving one last ray of hope before it too, would be destroyed.
"Sing nonomori… endless corridors…
Say nonomori… hopeless warriors…
You were there…
You were there…"
At last, the entire chunk of rock that the castle laid on began to crumble and fall into the sea. Slowly, the castle inched nearer and nearer towards the sea.
"Am I forever dreaming?
How to define the way I'm feeling?"
In the boat, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico still lay unconscious. They had no idea that it was Yorda who sent them free. Sooner or later, they would eventually wake up, and find freedom.
"You were there…
Countless visions they haunt me in my sleep
You were there…
Though forgotten all promises we keep…"
Ratchet's fur and Ico's mark breezed in the air as still, none of the three moved. However, the lombax felt something… different…
In his mind, he saw a dark room with a ray of light beaming above him in his mind. He saw a pale white hand reach out from the pool. Ratchet took the hand as he was brought up.
"Slaves to our destiny…
I recall a melody…
Sing nonomori, seasons lit with gold
Say nonomori, legends yet untold…
You were there…
You were there…"
None of the three knew how long it's been since they unknowingly escaped from the castle. It could have been years, and yet, the three continued to lay in the boat unconscious. The waves of the sea pushed back and forth on the boat as it continued to make its track forward.
"Happiness follows sorrow
Only believing in tomorrow…"
Only time could now tell where Ratchet, Clank, and Ico would eventually end up. While it seemed grim that they would stay on sea, the dark clouds moved away, shining the sunlight right on the boat.
"You were there…
Countless visions they haunt me in my sleep
You were there…
Though forgotten all promises we keep…"
Despite being unconscious, Ratchet could swear he could swear in his mind, he felt something. Something… unnatural… It felt like multiple people were grabbing him.
"The island bathes in the sun's bright rays
Distant hills wear a shroud of grey…
A lonely breeze whispers in the trees
Sole key to this mystery…"
And with that, it felt like the world was zooming out from Ratchet, Clank, and Ico in the boat.
(/End mood music)
…
*BEEP*
…
*BEEP*
…
"Huh? Everybody! Ratchet's waking up!"
Ratchet groaned as his eyes fluttered opened. He saw himself in a bed, several IV tubes connected to him. He then became surprised and gasped when he saw who was in front of him.
"Sasha?! Al?! Skidd?! Helga?! Quark?! Skrunch?!" The lombax spurted. He shook and then rubbed his head. "Ugh… where am I?"
"Ratchet… you're on the Starship Phoenix…" Sasha said. Ratchet saw tears in the cazar's eyes as she hugged him tightly.
"O-Oh, Ratchet! We thought you d-died!" Sasha yelled. Ratchet looked confused.
"Died? What are you talking about, Sasha?"
Captain Quark walked up to Ratchet.
"Yes… Ratchet… It is with utmost heartfelt to say that when you had gone to that mission to find me the Virotanium I needed, we saw that you had somehow lost transmission with us. After a long search party, we found your ship in another galaxy, completely destroyed." The Captain explained.
"We were barely able to salvage you and Clank. Do you remember anything as to what happened?" Big Al asked. Ratchet looked down at the sheets as he remembered two faces: Ico and Yorda's.
"Guys! What happened to-!"
And then, Ratchet stopped himself. He suddenly realized that only he and the robot knew who Ico and Yorda were. Surely, he would have been considered insane if he had asked where two people who lived in another universe, and most likely, another timeline lived.
"What happened to what, dude?" Skidd asked.
"Nothing… it's nothing…" Ratchet replied.
"Vell of course it's nothing! Vhy do you bother to zay zomething if it only turns to be a nothing!" Helga yelled at Ratchet.
"Look, it's nothing, OK?!" I just… got a little sidetracked…"
"Perhaps it was the surgery. Yeah, in case you didn't know, when we found you, you had all these cuts and bruises everywhere. Not to mention, we had to stitch up your right ear because there was an open wound there. It doesn't help that it was starting to look like it was becoming infected. Whatever happened to you out there must have been painful." said Big Al.
"I see…"
Ratchet soon remembered the fight against the Queen. Every last movement he and Ico did which lead towards her ultimate demise.
"I apologize wholeheartedly, Ratchet. All of this is my fault, and I shall take responsibility like the hero of the galaxy that I am." Quark said.
"Pff… yeah… running away from the issue is what you'd do." Ratchet sarcastically thought.
"While I already have my material, I promise that never will I make you and Clank go on another dangerous mission like that ever again."
Upon hearing Clank's name, Ratchet looked up.
"Hey... where's Clank? Is he alright?" he asked.
"Clank? About him, we did have to fix him up because he seemed to have multiple damages, but other than that, he's perfectly fine." Big Al replied.
"Can… can you bring him here? I want to talk to him privately."
"We can do just that." Sasha said. Everyone began to leave the room as Al came back with Clank in his arms, shutting the room behind him. The robot stared at Ratchet with his green eyes.
"Hey there buddy…" Ratchet said.
"Hello, Ratchet. Are you feeling okay?" Clank asked.
"I guess. I mean, my head is pounding and my right ear hurts a lot. But I guess I'm doing fine."
"Well, that's good."
Clank looked up at the ceiling.
"It was quite surprising to see us home, isn't it? I don't know how we did, but… we did it, Ratchet."
However, Ratchet didn't respond. He hung his head as the robot realized the lombax was feeling… sorrowful, like he had just lost something.
"We did but… Clank… I'm worried…" he said.
"If I had to guess, this is about Ico and Yorda, correct?"
"Yeah… what happened to them? Did they escape the castle? Did they really find their freedom?"
Clank laid his hand on Ratchet's furry hand.
"Do not worry, Ratchet… I'm sure that wherever Ico and Yorda are right now…"
The two then looked out the window, watching the depths of space as the Starship Phoenix slowly moved.
"Well… I'm sure they're doing okay…"
On a sandy beach by a shore near a cliffside, the waters of the sea breezed slightly, the noise clear as crystal. This was what caused Ico to slowly wake up from inside the boat on the edge of shore. He slowly fluttered his eyes as he saw his hand, and the boat. Upon hearing the sea, he got up, and looked around.
"Where… am I?" Ico asked himself. "And… where's Ratchet and Clank? Where's Yorda?"
He attempted to call out as he usually does, but heard no reply. A sharp pain went through the side of Ico's head as he hissed. Upon touching where it hurt, Ico saw that his horns were gone, replaced with only dry blood.
"I… don't have horns anymore…"
As Ico got out of the boat, he suddenly missed his jump and yelped, landing face first into the sand. Getting back up, he wiped the sand off of his clothes and turned around, looking at the long beach ahead of him.
Ico ran forwards, looking around for any unusual sight. For about a minute, he didn't find anything as he continued to run. At least, until he saw a patch of watermelons to the right of him.
Feeling extremely hungry, Ico ran over to it and picked one up, dropping it to the ground. As it cracked and split open, Ico took all the pieces and consumed them very quickly, scarfing the entire thing down to its skin. It felt like the juices of the watermelon were the tastiest thing he ate in his life.
"I'm acting like one of the animals back in the village…" Ico thought.
Tearing his eyes away from the rest of the watermelons, the horned boy saw a strange thing in the distance. It was white almost, and it seemed to be lying on shore. Ico turned his head as he ran towards the figure.
As he got closer and closer to is, it looked almost like a person… a girl to be exact, wearing all white and her skin very pale. Ico gasped as he walked up to the girl, knowing immediately who she was. He stared at her for some time while she lay unconscious.
And then, some of the girl's fingers began to move as she slightly arched her back. The girl's eyes began to flutter as she awoke, turning her head and looking at Ico.
And then, upon seeing his face, she said only one thing.
"Se… e..."(2)
FIN
(Translations –
1: Good bye…
I'm going to be honest, for 2, I'm not actually sure what that means. I wanna say it means "Fin" like the text does in game, but I have the feeling it's something else. I dunno, it's up to your imagination.)
(AN 2: Here's where all my thank you's go. I just want to say, THANK YOU, for reading all thirteen chapters of this. If you've followed along since Chapter 1, it means so much to me.
Thank you Fumito Ueda, and to an extent, Team Ico, for giving us the brillianceness that is ICO.
Thank you Insomniac Games, for giving us the amazing Ratchet and Clank series.
Thank you Sony Computer Entertainment, for publishing these fantastic titles.
And most importantly, thank you, the reader, for supporting this fic. As I said, this means so much to me, it gives me so much hope for my future of writing.
Now for what I have planned next? Well, right now I'm currently writing a Vecpio AU over at the Sonic the Hedgehog archive! Plus, I have many other fics published as well.
Finally, in case if you're wondering if I'll do something involving either Jak and Daxter or Sly Cooper and Shadow of the Colossus or The Last Guardian (at least, when it comes out)... well... we'll see. But for now, I hoped you enjoyed this fic.
This is TheHunterPersian, signing off for now...)