Hello everyone! Welcome back to Once In a Memory. You all here on Fanfiction have a lot of content to get through here, I hope you like it!
That being said, I do have some things to go over. 1.) I am not a professional writer, nor do I aim for perfection. I edit my stories and such, but there will be mistakes. This story seems to evolve along with my writing skills, so I hope my writing style isn't too odd while my writing improves. 2.) Most status updates (such as when the next chapter is coming and so on..) are posted on Wattpad. However, if anything really serious pops up I will let you all know here. 3.) RATING : This story is mainly T, but there is cursing throughout and some violence/references to violence in later chapters. Just a little heads up! 4.) I am a college student, so I try to get updates out every two weeks, sometimes less. Please bear with me on this journey!
Also, since I am getting used to formatting, there may be some errors. Sorry about that! This is why some features (italics, bold, etc..) differ from the Wattpad version. I am unable to transfer files here for some reason, so I had to do everything manually...there may be some mistakes.
And finally...enjoy!
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A white and red-furred Lombax looked up from the floor. Anger coursed through his veins as he looked at the scene before him. He ignored the cracking floor beneath him, and the countless pieces of rubble falling from above. He looked up, clenching his fists in anger, taking in the sight before him. His late best friend's son tried to pry the lever from the broken stand, weakly trying to pull it towards him, but to no avail. Alister growled, glaring at the young Lombax before him,
"No! What are you doing?"
Ratchet tugged with all his might, closing his eyes and putting all his strength into pulling the lever back,
"Come on!" He grunted out, clenching his teeth as his arms shook from the exertion. His body was too weak at this point, and he was only running on adrenaline. Even so, he made one last pull on the lever, and it snapped off the broken stand. He heard a gasp from beside him. He looked over, tensing when his eyes laid upon the General before him, fear gripping his chest.
"It's not working! Why isn't it working?" Alister said, glaring up at the crumbling ceiling above them. He growled, frustrated with himself, and his younger counterpart. However, he stepped back when the kid lunged forward, arms shooting out between them, almost in a pleading way, to get the General to listen to him, for once.
"Because it's not a time machine, Alister-" he shouted in frustration, "-The clock isn't meant to alter time! Only keep it!"
Then, a mechanical voice spoke from above,
*Thirty seconds until total system failure*
The younger Lombax looked up in alarm, before dashing over to the lever again, only to be pushed back to the cold, cracking ground. He tried to push himself up but to no avail. He was too tired, and it seemed that all hope was lost, for them, and the entire universe. In a sense, their time was up. He looked down in defeat, frustration bubbling up inside him, his eyes shining with unshed tears. They are in their final minutes.
"I'm so sorry..." Alister looked up in resignation. He knew what he was going to do, and he was not going to fail this time. He was fixing his last mistake.
Ratchet suddenly bolted up, going once again for the lever, only to be pushed back by Alister, who held an arm out to stop him. Ratchet looked up at him curiously,
"No. Let me." Alister said, turning back to the lever. Ratchet reached out, catching Alister's arm and pulling it towards him.
"No! Please! It's no use. And I-" he sucked in a harsh breath, "-I can't watch you die!"
However, Alister only sighed. Smiling at the younger in reassurance, as if they weren't in their final moments. He laid his hand upon Ratchet's, squeezing it gently. He looked down and met the younger's eyes, the feeling of regret consuming him whole.
"Take care of your-"
But he was cut off as the ground shook for a final time, the ceiling finally coming down upon them, only the middle of the platform remained. Alister pulled the younger back, holding him close. Ratchet, however, looked around in alarm.
"Clank? Clank!" He shouted, only to be met with silence. His friend was gone, nowhere to be seen. Pain and despair gripped his heart with a vice-like grip, refusing to let go as tears gathered in his eyes. He tried to push off Alister's arm, however, it only tightened around him. He tried to shake himself out of the steel-like grip.
"Let me go! Alister, now! Let go!"
Alister however, looked around them calmly, ignoring the struggling kid in his arms. He looked at a barely intact platform across them. He looked down to Ratchet, who now stopped struggling in his grip. Slouching against him in defeat, he choked up at the sight of the broken teen before him. He made up his mind. Leaning down to be eye level with Ratchet, slightly shaking his shoulders.
"It'll be okay, Ratchet." He promised him, smiling at the teen who looked at him in defeat. He sighed, determined. He pulled the teen up, almost to eye level. Ratchet glared at him, but Alister only smiled in reassurance. This may not save him, but it will get him out of the crossfire at least.
Alister knew that time was up for him, but that did not mean it was up for Ratchet. He would fix his mistake, even if it only buys the teen a bit more time.
"Goodbye, Ratchet." He only caught a glimpse of the teen's confused expression before he threw the teen over to the platform, across from them. Watched as Ratchet hit the ground back first, grunting in pain. He turned to the lever, clenching his Omniwrench by his side, ready to force it into the broken stand. But the universe had other plans.
He never made it close enough. The power surge from above prevented him from doing so. The world is collapsing around him. For a moment, all shaking ceased, all noise silenced. Still lying across the scene, the teen stared on helplessly as Alister's body fell motionless, his own body refusing to move. His eyes widened in shock, barely paying attention to a faint voice calling his name. He looked up to the blue light, before an immense pain shot up his spine, burning him from within. His world going black.
And for once, it seemed like time stopped. The universe silenced, as if it too, was mourning the loss of its best hero.
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