A/N: Song of huge inspiration for this chapter was "Dark Matter" by Les Friction. I think it really suits the mood of this chapter.

Disclaimer: Ratchet, Clank and all other characters belong to Insomniac Games, except for the Unseen Destroyer, Egandor and Asyrian.

Chapter 16: Desert's War Drums

The first settlements appeared into the vastness of Zanimal's desert. The stony buildings stood defiant against the strong winds that created whirls of sand. The sky was engulfed by desert dust which gave it a hue of pale yellow and the sun gave into a faint white colour under the effect of the floating sand. The horizon seemed as if it wasn't really there and the heat made it seem as though moving reflections lay there instead. The desert extended as far as the eye could see and its boundless reign was deprived of mercy for no signs of plant life or lakes could be found.

Aphelion's flight decreased in speed as she approached the ground without flying close enough to touch it. As the distance between the starship and the main city narrowed, several landed ships could be spotted amongst destroyed houses. The distance from the ground was small enough to allow Ratchet's sight to detect patrolling armored Cragmites. However, Aphelion's aerial inspection revealed no civilians in the streets and the whole community was unnervingly quiet.

Several feet beyond the town area was the Coliseum. Ratchet looked beyond his starship's glass and observed the fighting arena. An involuntary urge made him want to break the wheel but he dimmed his anger down to just scratching the leather-coated handles of it from inside his gloves. He bit his lower lip hard and his eyebrows pressed tightly against his forehead as wrath hardened his features.

"I hope Thírios is here. He has a lot to pay for" Ratchet snarled in anger.

Ever since that night on Igliak and that nightmare he could find no rest or repose. Fits of anxiety kept interrupting his sleep and the rigorous fight on the arena as well as his banishment to the Golden-Razor Jungle had filled him with phobias. Ratchet had been sleepless for more than a week and frequently wondered how he managed to keep going. Seclusion brought forth in his conscience his father's screams. The hours of stillness produced so many disheartening thoughts he hoped for a battle to cross his path so as to remain distracted. With every brief encounter Ratchet had with the Unseen Destroyer he became bound to a sense of defeat and demons seemed to have crept into his head. He needed this to be over. He needed to purge these demons out of his head or else he would completely lose his mind.

"Our priority is the safety of the civilians" Clank reminded him.

Clank's statement had been so logical it conflicted with Ratchet's anger, which seemed to be the only thing that could help him go on for the following days. "I know that. But he captured you. And I let him get away on Silthrin. I can't afford to give him any second chances."

The Lombax ship turned around and continued her patrol, encircling the Coliseum and flying high enough so as not to be spotted.

"You have not been well, Ratchet. I am worried" the robot found no interest on the planet's surface. He fixed his inquisitive stare on Ratchet, looking at him with sadness that made his internal systems work faultily. "You do not sleep, you do not eat well-"

"Now's really not the time, Clank" Ratchet deliberately prevented Clank from continuing. He wasn't even making eye-contact with his friend and preferred to grip the wheel and move it to bring Aphelion somewhat closer to the sandy ground.

"It never appears to be the right time! You are anxious all the time and you constantly move without allowing yourself to have a break" Clank insisted. His whole frame was directed at Ratchet and he had captured him within his sight, unwilling to let this slip this time. "And you do not let me help you!"

"That's because if I stop moving I'll probably die!" Ratchet raised his voice and got defeated in Clank's game as he was now looking at him, no longer trying to ignore him. He silently stared at his friend for a while and gasped in deeply before speaking more calmly this time. "I don't know why but I'm scared to death. And I feel so, so nervous. I feel like I'm gonna have a heart-attack any second now. I need to end this as soon as possible or else I'll most certainly lose it. I can't live with this anxiety for another day, I just can't take it."

Ratchet's heart was poured out and all his defenses had fallen. His ears were now flat, almost touching the back of his head and his eyes were effortlessly reflecting the sorrow he had been carrying to every planet all along. Clank could see a strange craving in his viridescent orbs to deliver himself to the storm without any resistance. Ratchet was tired and hope had long since extinguished within him. The odds had for once beaten him and Clank could now tell that all this time he was fighting alongside someone who was expecting defeat to finally catch up with them.

"Ratchet…" a low-hummed murmur escaped Clank. And for several seconds nothing more was said. He was stunned by the raw sorrow that had bloomed inside his friend and he strongly wished to rip out the root of it. "We can still win this. I will… I will not let you fall."

"I know you won't" Ratchet managed a bitter smile and partly positioned himself to hold the wheel again but with eyes still set on Clank. "Come on. We have to help Zanimal."

"How do you wish to approach the matter, Ratchet?" Aphelion seized the opportunity to interfere as soon as the tension was finally broken.

"I don't think we've been spotted so let's keep it that way. We'll get to the ground from here, you make sure you stay out of sight. I'll call you when we're ready to leave" Ratchet relayed his orders to his ship.

The cockpit opened, allowing the hot air to invade Aphelion's interior. After Ratchet felt Clank's weight attach firmly to his harness, he climbed to the edge of his ship and prepared for the daring leap. His gaze wandered to the ground and he observed the circular area with theatrically arranged stony seats enclosing it. A dazzling surge of adrenaline rushed through his head, preparing him for his descent to the ground and thankfully numbing him from any anger that tried to immerge from his memory of the Coliseum. The tight grip of his hand that held him on the ship loosened and his foot finally pushed his body away from Aphelion.

He felt a tingling sensation right above his stomach while he fell. Instead of looking at the ground Ratchet closed his eyes and opened up his arms to savour this short moment of freedom. The heat of the air reminded him of Veldin and for a few seconds he pretended he was there, imagining he was running through the rough, barren hills and swinging above the canyons just like he used to do with Clank after saving the secluded planet and the entire Solana galaxy. The winds blowing against his frame made him feel like he was flying and as if they were carrying away all this endless strife the Unseen Destroyer had sunk him into.

Ratchet felt a sudden pull when Clank activated his Helipack. His green eyes opened and the first thing he saw was his feet hovering a small distance above the ground. He waited for Clank to lead him to the ground safely and as soon as his feet came in contact with solid ground, he looked around the area. The surrounding walls that used to look so tiny from the sky were now towering over his form, casting shadows that darkened the colour of the sand he was stepping on. The silence that now prevailed was no reminiscent of the battle he had fought against the creature known as a Wasteland Murderer. There was crowd cheering or disapproving of him back then. There were expectations to win or to fail thrown at him back then. Now there was nothing but silence and Ratchet welcomed it with a calm expression.

Looking for the throne-like seat, Ratchet turned around and found the place where the Unseen Destroyer used to sit, his lifeless black eyes set on him the entire time. A shiver ran through Ratchet's spine after imagining that cold creature focusing all his attention on him. He shook his head to get the image off his head. If he was unsettled only by the thought of Thírios, how was he supposed to fight him? He turned the other way and walked around more decisively this time in hopes of restoring his resolve.

He eventually walked beneath the arch that indicated the entrance to the arena. Ratchet took a few more steps to reach the opposite wall but he never did. In a matter of a heartbeat, he felt being pulled beneath the ground as he fell into a dark pit. Before he could think of gliding down with his hoverboots and before Clank could react the Lombax fell to the bottom of the hole. His landing had been rough and the abrupt fall left him shakily gasping for air to soothe his shock.

"Ratchet? Are you alright?" Clank asked from where he was, unwilling to detach himself from Ratchet in case an enemy approached.

"I'm good" Ratchet reassured his friend before standing up.

He looked above him and saw a wide gap with sand still falling from the surface like small waterfalls. Ratchet realised that the ground where he stood had caved in. A close inspection revealed that the elevator which had led him into the arena was now broken and the platform had been worn and so it failed to withstand the weight of the two heroes.

"It might take a while to reach the surface" Clank voiced his thoughts, his words producing a light echo in the room.

"This path leads to the prison cells. Maybe there's another way out from there" Ratchet proposed while pointing at the direction of the cells.

A silent walk began while Ratchet headed for the prison cells, taking slow and cautious steps and with OmniWrench held defensively in front of him. The corridors seemed long since abandoned and dust had gathered on the wooden floor and doors. The rays of the sun barely managed to penetrate the crevices of the ceiling and faintly illuminate the place and the whistling of the wind's fits was the only thing that was heard every now and then. It took a while until the first cells were found and they were empty. Ratchet and Clank could spot no prisoners or guards.

"Perhaps there was a rebellion against the Unseen Destroyer and the prisoners managed to escape" Clank commented on the quietness, coming with an explanation on the lack of occupants.

Ratchet went on, following the line of the cells. After walking by eight empty cells he heard talking coming from the next corridor to his right. "I think I'm hearing something" he informed Clank, his voice no louder than a whisper.

"We should tread carefully" Clank advised with the same amount of secrecy.

The area where the corridor made its turn was significantly darker and the particles of dust where aimlessly floating around, giving an inexplicable serenity to the otherwise desolated place. Ratchet took a deep breath and held it in for as long as he could before soundlessly releasing it. He began walking towards the distant chattering until he reached the right turn. He remained hidden behind the wall for a while and when he was ready his features stiffened in alertness as he rapidly took the turn and faced the other cells.

The hostility in his eyes dissolved into surprise as soon as he encountered the main city's citizens occupying the cells. When they became aware of Ratchet and Clank's arrival, the talking ceased and countless pairs of curious eyes fell on the intruders.

The Zoni robot landed on the ground and took a few steps closer to the imprisoned ones. "Do not worry. We are here to help."

One of the prisoners stared at Ratchet persistently. He was lightly hunched and his face seemed to have significantly aged. His hand enveloped the bar that separated him from freedom and fresh scratches ran across his sunburnt skin. "Wait, I know you. You're the one who built the aqueduct back then. Kaden, wasn't it?"

Voices and unintelligible talking increased in volume. Many of them repeated the name with a sense of triumph distinguishable in their eyes while others looked at the Lombax and shook their heads approvingly and with smiles erasing their initial fear. Ratchet recoiled, taking a couple steps backwards and stared at the crowd with a sullen look. Years back he would have loved receiving all this attention. But now he didn't need any of their praising. He didn't want to be glorified by masses of people, let alone be glorified only because he was the son of some hero and not because of his own deeds.

"Everybody, will you keep it down?" he shouted so his voice could reach everyone's ears whilst gesturing with his hands to keep quiet. When the prisoners complied with Ratchet's wish, he resumed talking. "I'm not Kaden. My name is Ratchet and this is Clank."

"But the resemblance is remarkable" the demur came from the same man who reminded the crowd of Kaden's achievements. "Are you his son?"

Ratchet stood breathless and blinked while staring at the elder man. A few brief glimpses to the other prisoners brought him face to face with endless anticipation and expectation was written all over their eager looks. He remembered what Asyrian had told him during his search of the map to Kaden's Armor.

"Kaden left as soon as he hid the map. He was never seen again. Ever since, explorers like me have made speculations of the arrival of Kaden's son to claim what's his."

"No" Ratchet uttered slowly to emphasize his response, his stare fixated on the man who had asked him. "Yellow fur and brown stripes are very common traits on Fastoon" he quickly added with a nervous smile and moved towards one of the cells to examine the padlocks, hoping that their imminent release would be enough to make the prisoners forget about Kaden for now.

There was pride in the way with which Clank looked at his friend. Without being fully able to decipher the reasons behind Ratchet's words, the humility that he had shown made Clank admire him and recognise how much he had matured. Afterwards, he moved closer to the cells to speak with the civilians. "Where is the Unseen Destroyer?" he stated his question with an urgency that was relayed through his tone.

"In his residence" a young man replied to Clank. "He wants the names of those who helped his last prisoners escape two weeks ago. And he's taken hostages for that cause. For every three hours of silence, he takes one life."

A loud noise of metal clashing with metal was produced every time Ratchet struck the padlocks with his OmniWrench. After three cells Ratchet reached the door of the fourth one only to find that it had never been locked. He looked at the citizens through the bars with a veil of suspicion clouding his confident look. "That door isn't locked. Why didn't you leave?"

"Not all of us are imprisoned here" the civilian that was talking with Clank earlier answered. Ratchet noticed that the man's cell also lacked a padlock. "Those of us that can go out are supposed to run to the Unseen Destroyer and tell him those names if we all decide to do that. Those who are locked are the ones he'll take when he runs out of hostages."

"Basically we're prey waiting in line" a female voice interrupted the talk. She possessed light-brown fur and her species looked akin to that of Egandor's.

"That's awful" Ratchet murmured, the processing of what the Unseen Destroyer had been doing on Zanimal all along affecting his movements, making them torpid and lethargic. He feared to ask his next question but something within him urged him to. "How long has this been happening?"

No one replied for several seconds. Inspecting the looks the citizens threw at each other, Ratchet could tell they were searching for the one brave enough to answer. The delay tightened his stomach and the knot seemed to twist and writhe, almost making him sick. Eventually one of them found the courage to confess it. "About four days."

Ratchet's mouth hung agape and he drew away from the cell, looking at the ground as shame overtook his mind. He calculated the number of the victims quickly; around thirty had died for Egandor and Asyrian's names. All his thoughts judged him as the perpetrator of this. He blamed himself for escaping or for not arriving sooner.

"Your people are dying. Are those names really worth it?" Clank's tone was significantly low and he spoke slowly, sadness decreasing the speed of his speech.

"We have no idea who they were. Otherwise we would have told him!" the old man who had mistaken Ratchet for Kaden now took his turn to talk.

In the meantime, Ratchet freed the remaining prisoners but made another question before breaking the last padlock. "Some of you could get out of here. Why didn't you try to fight him?"

"Are you kidding?" another civilian said fervently. "Have you seen what he can do? It'd be foolish to defy his orders!"

Once the last cell had been unlocked Ratchet witnessed the mass of unarmed people walk out of the confining rooms. "That monster's not taking any of us. Not a single one!" one of them shouted and the other agreed clamorously.

Ratchet watched them follow the route he and Clank intended to take, surmising it was indeed the way back to the sand bathed by the radiant sunrays. He thought he heard them say they were going to hide before turning to Clank. "We need to get to Thírios."

"I have been there. I believe I remember the way."

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

A sole Lombax ran into the desert, his footprints on the sand indicating the course he had taken. The footprints didn't take long to fade away and become covered by the ever-moving sand as small masses of it were carried away by the fitful wind and soon erased any signs of life into the vastness of the parched lands. There was an endless emptiness all around which promised that the desert would spare no life. The sky looked mainly bright white rather than blue as the sun seemed unnaturally enlarged and extended its rays to every part of the horizon.

Ratchet had forsaken the residential area about half an hour ago. With no path that led to the Unseen Destroyer's base Clank's memory worked as their only compass. The whirling sand harassed his eyes and invaded his nostrils, forcing him to frequently raise his arms and bend them in front of him to shield his face from the furious yet miniscule sandstorms. Every time Ratchet attempted to look at the sky his eyes hurt by the excessive radiance which narrowed the black in the centre of them and made the green around glimmer vividly. Despite the hostile sky hindering his vision, he searched for the glowing yellow celestial orb where he had been banished and spotted it right ahead of him. According to Clank, as long as the Golden-Razor Jungle remained ahead of him Ratchet was following the right track to Thírios' solitary fortress.

"Finally…" Ratchet muttered silently and his sprint came to a halt.

Before him emerged a giant building, consisting of many floors and surrounded by translucent plasma shields. Beyond the drifting grains of sand Ratchet could see through the energy surfaces and discerned gates with neon lines leading to the interior of the fort.

Clank stretched and turned his head to take in the sight in front of Ratchet. "This is the right place, Ratchet. Thírios must be in there."

"I certainly hope so." There was a sinister tone in Ratchet's voice and his eyes had narrowed angrily at the mention of the Unseen Destroyer's name.

"We will need to deactivate those shields first" Clank's statement worked as a reminder of the situation, pulling Ratchet to reality before he could immerse into a fantasy of his long-desired battle with Thírios.

Before he could take a few seconds to process the situation, the idle movement of Ratchet's tail ceased and his ears perked up. "Did you hear that?"

Ratchet didn't spend any time anticipating a response from Clank and equipped himself with the Lightning Ravager. He searched around the place with a watchful stare, trying to expand his alert gaze beyond the sand swirling around him. He used the moments of silence to stretch his fingers and curl them around his weapon more firmly and took slow steps around all the while. At this point he felt part of the ground beneath him move slightly and a tremble beneath the sand crossed his feet, sending a quiver through his body.

All of a sudden something arose from the ground violently. Sand was thrown at Ratchet and invaded his eyes, forcing him to shut them tightly and lose sight of his surroundings. He recovered fast and once he regained his vision he came face to face with a black, scorpion-like creature similar to the one he had fought in the Coliseum.

A look of astonishment betrayed his unpreparedness but the years of battle experience gifted him with high reflexes. He avoided the first attack with a back-flip and immediately swung his weapon, causing it to emit an electrical energy attached to the handle. The contact with the foreign energy forced Ratchet's enemy to recoil in pain. Ratchet smiled with eyes lightly squinted that exposed the hostility he felt towards the creature. He remembered the weakness of the particular species and felt grateful for the weapon in his hand.

The black-scaled creature hid back under the sand and seconds later reappeared next to Ratchet with a surprise attack. The sharp claw collided with the handle of the Lightning Ravager, sending it to the ground a few feet away. The Lombax caught a brief glimpse of his weapon lying meddled with the sand and quickly recuperated as he set his stare back at the creature.

The Wasteland Murderer began revealing his full height as he slowly unearthed its entire form and arose high enough to hide the sun from Ratchet's sight. Ratchet took a step back and let his eyes widen in awe as the shadow of the creature's form was cast on his much smaller stature. With a spasmodic movement, a pair of sharp claws was exposed aiming at the trespasser. Ratchet avoided the incoming attack by rolling away from the bladed edges' destination towards the Lightning Ravager.

His eyes abandoned the enemy charging at him only momentarily in order to retrieve his weapon. Once his alerted gaze fell on the creature, Ratchet saw a small dart with a pink tuft landing on the hardened exterior of his enemy and falling on the ground, failing to penetrate the tough skin. Ratchet had to shake his head to erase the bewildered look from his face and determination settled in again when he once again looked at the Wasteland Murderer.

The giant scorpion moved swiftly to Ratchet but the Lombax was quick in using the weapon in his hand and struck him with a whip of electricity for a second time. The movements of Ratchet's enemy decelerated and he seemed dazzled by the attack. The mechanic's shoulders rose and his chest swelled proudly as he walked closer to the being of the desert with his weapon raised, ready to deliver the finishing strike.

A small dagger was thrown yet again on the Wasteland Murderer in an inefficient and clumsy manner that made it fall down. Ratchet's expression twisted from hostility to that of confusion while a silent exclamation of wonderment was muttered under his breath. Looking at his enemy he realised the clawed creature was also distracted. Wasting no time he activated the Ravager and swayed it in front of him, producing a vine of energy that sent electrical charges beneath the thickened skin and forced his enemy to dive back into the sand. For a few moments there was only stillness save the hot wind blowing against Ratchet's fur. It was then when Ratchet surmised that the creature had retreated and thus, he let loose all of his tension with a prolonged exhale. His hands fell on his sides relaxed and the frantic pounding of his heart turned to mere regular heartbeat when he raised his gaze to the radiant sky.

"It looks like we have some company" Clank's voice was heard before Ratchet felt his friend's weight lifted away from his body and heard a small thud coming from the robot's landing.

He turned around and his emerald eyes fell on familiar faces that diluted his hostile expression and replaced it with a warm, welcoming smile. He moved to the fallen dagger and picked it from the ground. "I take it Loric was right. You can't use a dagger. But don't worry, neither can I."

"Carrying it is enough to keep thieves away. Works for me" Egandor claimed and approached Ratchet to retrieve his dagger.

"Glad to see you both" Asyrian walked closer to the two travelers and held her brother's shoulder while speaking to Ratchet. "It's a blessing that you arrived. Things are really bad here. We've been transmitting a call for help for days. Fortunately it reached you."

"We fought a similar creature in the Coliseum. Are they native to this planet?" Clank inquired.

"Yep. Wasteland Murderers" was Asyrian's response.

"What are you doing all the way here?" Ratchet asked the siblings.

"Saving the hostages of course. That monster thinks he can scare us. We'll take them home before he kills even one of them!" Asyrian's tone became louder in resolve as she spoke. Her light-blue eyes were squinted as the wind apparently bothered her but she boldly defied it.

Ratchet's faint smile faded immediately and his features came in concord with signs of forlornness. He looked at Clank who held the same expression of sorrow, trying to restrain it and allowing it to manifest itself only through a sullen look and the numb movement of his hand rubbing his other shoulder. Ratchet focused his attention back on Asyrian."I'm afraid it's a little late for that. He's been killing one of them every three hours for four days."

"What?!" Egandor stepped away from Ratchet with eyes wide, forming small circles that emitted his surprise. He looked at Clank who hesitantly confirmed Ratchet's statement.

"He must have killed about thirty two inhabitants so far. He is after your names because you helped us escape" the robot of the company spoke slowly and even unwillingly.

A gasp deprived Asyrian of any words. She rubbed the white fur of her face to soothe her anguish but it did nothing to deliver her from the emerging shock. "We had no idea. I thought he was just trying to terrorize us, to impose dictatorship. I didn't know he was killing them!"

"If I'd known, I'd surrender" Egandor looked at the endless desert while speaking. He took a few seconds to look at his sister with eyes of guilt. "I'd have surrendered. It's our fault that these people died."

Ratchet stepped in front of Egandor. "Don't think like that. Walking in there was a death sentence" he stated and gestured at the settlement. "And besides, some of them are still alive. And they need our help."

"We won't give up on them. We are getting in!" Asyrian spoke, her voice more steady now that desperation subsided and ceased to make it tremble. "You'll help us, won't you?"

Ratchet walked away from the three, taking a few steps towards Thírios' settlement. He watched as the sun slowly descended to the horizon behind the dictator's residence. The blood in his veins began to boil, feeding his senses with impatience and clouding his mind, preventing him from finding rest until he could get what he desperately wanted. "We will. But I've got a request."

"Request?" Asyrian called out in surprise. Her eyes were fixed on the Lombax while Clank tilted his head and stared at his friend with a suspicious look, unable to comprehend what was on Ratchet's mind.

Ratchet shut his eyes and tried to burst out the eagerness for battle that was growing within him by clenching his hands into tight fists. Focusing on the heated wind that momentarily reminded him of Veldin, he managed to contain the hatred coursing into his entire body and keep it under control until the time was right. He turned to look at Asyrian, eyes narrowed as he subconsciously let this hatred leave its trails on his face. "The Unseen Destroyer is mine…"

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

The internal part of the Unseen Destroyer's settlement consisted of dark halls that reminded nothing of the bright desert landscape outside. Transparent, plastic tubes ran on the upper part of the walls following the course of the intertwined corridors and the neon blue light they emitted was the only source of illumination that allowed faint vision. Some ventilation shafts could be spotted to certain parts of the walls. The wide albeit empty corridor was just as silent as the previous ones Ratchet had walked through. He was silently treading ahead of Egandor and Asyrian and the comforting weight on his back assured him of Clank's presence.

Breaking through the shields of Thírios' residence had spent little of their time as Clank's expertise in complex security systems and Asyrian's acquisition of the dictator's personal codes back during her first visit in the building came in great use. They managed to enter the place undetected and ever since silent walking was the only action Ratchet's yearning for battle had seen. He put his faith on his trusty OmniWrench to defend him from every lurking danger and took mindful steps forward, worried that the strong beating of his heart would give them away as he swore he could hear it echo, permeating through the unbreakable silence.

The lingering silence worked treacherously again as it evoked the same fear that had crept inside Ratchet's mind. The soundlessness gradually began to recede as he mentally trailed back into the small shelter of Kaden's Armor on planet Azalea. The purple-hued sky and the soothing moonlight couldn't overpower the choking sounds coming out of the tape recorder. Kaden's brave, loving, genuine voice was forgotten into the deepest recesses of his mind and the only part of the message that made his heart ache so easily managed to find its way into the conscious part of his mind, rising above all thoughts.

Vision began to become slightly blurry as eyes faintly stung. Ratchet clenched them shut before re-opening them for a wave of embarrassment tensed up his frame and salty drops moistened the fur right below his fern green eyes that sparkled vibrantly under the effect of the blue light. He felt grateful to the darkness enveloping him and swallowed to get rid of the sob clogging his throat. Deep breaths swelled his lungs and slowed down the thumping against his chest, helping him regain his focus.

Becoming aware of the wall in front of him, Ratchet positioned himself to the right before walking to the next corridor. The end of the hall was significantly brighter than the rest of the area and the change brought Ratchet in a state of alertness which he welcomed as it kept the morbid thoughts at bay.

"My scanners detect movement inside" Clank informed the group.

"Thírios. Finally!" Ratchet's loud voice broke the monotony that remained unchanged until that time.

He sprinted towards the door and soon heard the paced footsteps behind him accelerate to correspond to the speed in which he was moving. A deep, throaty voice brought Ratchet's run to a constrained halt.

"Not so fast" hostility poured out of the threatening phrase.

A bulky figure moved in front of the door from the sideways. The guard's great height almost hid the light from the lamp above the forbidden door and the four intruders stood stunned in place, staring at the sentinel. "Well, well. Two of my old prisoners are back, thinking they can have some kind of payback."

Egandor looked at his sister, bracing himself for an angry or witty remark. Instead, Asyrian seemed defenseless and even afraid in the face of the guard who had been locking her cell during the five months of her captivity.

"You…" Ratchet mused noisily as he kept looking at the guard with the black cloak who had abruptly woke him up and led him at the Coliseum's arena when he was captured. "Did you happen to change your mind about that pair of Stunderwear?"

The guard seemed to become angry by Ratchet's question, as if he had been insulted, and grabbed his weapon that was hidden beneath the cloak. A curved blade attacked to a wooden handle was raised in the air and violently descended, searching to collide with the Lombax's flesh and satiate its thirst with shed blood.

Ratchet prepared to raise his OmniWrench and let it become the point of the blade's collision but instead, he saw Egandor step in front of him and deflect the attack with his dagger. The brown-furred inhabitant of Zanimal neglected to even gasp in fear of breaking the balance of the blades that guarded him from the enemy weapon's sharp edge. His arms trembled visibly as he applied more pressure to counteract the sentinel's force.

"Egandor?" Ratchet called out, his widened eyes reflecting the same amount of surprise that Clank and Asyrian stared at him with.

"You got your request, Ratchet. Go inside and finish that merciless bastard! Asyrian, stay behind me!" he shouted through clenched teeth, unable to speak properly due to the pressure he had to withhold.

Ratchet caught a glimpse of Asyrian before running into the room. Her expression of surprise and confusion was imprinted on his mind, lingering for a while until he was inside the room and locking the door. Her mouth hang agape and her eyes stared lethargically, as though looking at a void, but they weren't vacant. Helplessness rendered them wide and fixated on her brother whom she seemed to have a hard time recognising. As if failing to focus, they clang on her brother's form, accepting the need to remain inactive even if she felt weird doing so. Her face disappeared when the door in front of Ratchet was securely sealed and then he managed to recollect his thoughts.

The variety of objects into the room filled Clank with an eagerness to explore and thus, he allowed himself to gently land on the floor and wander around. His bright optics momentarily fell on Ratchet who was also looking around the room. During his fervent search, Clank spotted a wide opening towards a construction resembling a balcony with white sheets that wavered gracefully as they were lightly blown by the wind. The natural light that invaded the room appeased Clank's anguish that was developed by all the murkiness covering the halls they had walked. Turning to his right, his optical sensors detected a desk on the far wall opposite of the door. He felt comfortable in the spaciousness of the room and roamed freely to inspect the place more cautiously.

His leisurely roaming came into an abrupt ceasing as the sight in front of him seemed to freeze his gears. "R-Ratchet?" he called out the syllables as boldly as he could to tame the tremble he almost let out.

Sensing the troubled tone of his friend, Ratchet quickly moved next to Clank. When he finally looked at the sight before Clank, the air around him suddenly turned suffocating for him, failing to vitalize him. Sorrow clouded his features as his eyebrows moved to crease the spot above his nose. His forlorn eyes were set on several glass containers, each one surrounding an OmniWrench. Varying in size, some were representative of the Lombax race's unrivalled expertise in engineering while others had a plainer, more simplistic design.

"I found your weapon kept in a glass cabinet in the Unseen Destroyer's quarters. It was like he was keeping it as a, um… trophy? Souvenir? I don't know. I just found it… odd."

Loric's words when he had found him on the Golden-Razor Jungle made more sense to Ratchet now. But still, the sight of so carefully kept OmniWrenches made a feeling of uneasiness grow in him. He gaped at the strange collection, shaking his head in a desperate attempt to comprehend the meaning behind what he was seeing. "I don't understand."

"It's simple" a voice startled the both of them.

The recognition of the voice hit him instantly, hurting his ears more than a clamorous explosion would. Ratchet's whole body reacted to the presence and he glowered, letting the hate he had been harbouring finally reach the surface. Reluctance was displayed by the slow pace in which he turned. Both he and Clank encountered the Unseen Destroyer standing hoodless in front of the balcony as the light fabrics swayed elegantly behind him.

"This is my creator's collection. He began assembling it when he persecuted the few Lombaxes that had managed to escape the siege of Fastoon. All of these used to belong to each one of them" he placidly informed and paced around as two pairs of wrathful stares refused to release him from their iron hold.

His tracks stopped a little further from Ratchet and his pale, bonny face remained cold and expressionless as if his features were too stiff to move in accordance with his state of mind. "The last one lord Tachyon killed was a Lombax named Kaden. His OmniWrench is in one of these cases. And you, poor boy, don't even know which one is your own father's weapon."

"Give it up, Thírios. You won't bring me down with these cheap mind games" Ratchet's whole form tightened up as he verbally fought against the Unseen Destroyer.

Thírios' features twisted abruptly to form a cunning smile, the angles of his skull becoming more visible as they did so. "Kaden's OmniWrench was full of blood when he brought it to the lab. He cleaned it while checking my neural system's activity. Blood on a Lombax weapon was the very first thing I perceived."

Involuntarily Ratchet shook his head to give into any kind of movement that could vent out the tension from his system. Trying to hide the bitterness making his eyelids heavy, he lowered his thick eyebrows in an attempt to intimidate Thírios. "I promise you it will also be the last" he spat venomously and raised his OmniWrench to emphasize his threat.

The Unseen Destroyer performed a slight movement of his head which was the only indicator that he had shifted his sight from Ratchet to his melee weapon. His expressionless black eyes remained there and his face relaxed, hiding some of the rough lines running across his face. "It's a beautiful OmniWrench. Such a shame I have to retrieve it for a second time but then again…"

Slow steps led the powerful Cragmite closer to his sworn enemy. Ratchet withstood his urge to step back and concentrated all his effort to remain fixated on his position, his small fangs exposed the smaller the distance between him and Thírios became.

"…It will be more enjoyable to take it from a dead Lombax rather than from a captured one."

Violet sparks were emitted between his thin fingers. Ratchet took a step back to observe the phenomenon while picking up his Lightning Ravager and preparing himself for combat. Before he could process what was it that the Unseen Destroyer was doing, the purple flickers transformed into sentient, radiant lines that gathered together and formed a Netherbeast.

"What the-" Ratchet saw the glowing, purple creature open up its mouth to reveal sharp teeth. When he witnessed sharp movement from the Nether creature and its glow coming close enough to blind him, he rolled sideways to dodge the attack.

Once he regained his balance, his emerald eyes searched for Thírios. The Cragmite creation was standing in his initial place, undisturbed and uneasily calm. Ratchet set a glare on him, gripping him with his stare while decisively walking towards him. He had the Unseen Destroyer now and didn't intend to let the opportunity slip away from him this time.

Ratchet activated the Lightning Ravager and swung it skyward to produce an electrocuting whip. The Unseen Destroyer moved faster that the blue energy and avoided the attack. He ran deeper into the spacious room, taking the opposite direction of the balcony and passing by the glass cabinets containing the OmniWrenches. Taking a glance back he saw the Lombax gaining speed and trying to reach him, delivering a second attack.

Fortunately for him, Ratchet had rushed his attack in his unquenched thirst for revenge and the electrical whip never reached him. Thírios seized the opportunity to prepare his next attack. Electricity seemed to scintillate on his fingers and the energy increased in shape and form to create an energy whip. Once this was done, he raised his gaze to find Ratchet who was advancing towards him to strike him with yet another attack of the Lightning Ravager.

Racing against time, Thírios replicated Ratchet's previous attack and sent an electric charge straight towards the Lombax.

Saving himself from the strike in time, Ratchet jumped backwards while flipping in the air and let the distance secure him from the Unseen Destroyer. He moved to the centre of the room and took a hiding place behind the fragile containers.

"He's mimicking the attacks of my weapons" he spoke a needless warning to Clank, in an attempt to comprehend the situation.

"It would be better if you ceased using them" Clank advised quietly, the lack of lively confidence showing that he was taken aback.

"Hope you've said your goodbyes with your time-manipulating backpack because I'm taking him too" Thírios' voice travelled to Ratchet's ears, burdening them with his threat and causing them to droop.

He stored his weapon away and allowed the OmniWrench to return to his grip. Restless green eyes scanned the room to observe the makeshift battlefield. The balcony on the other end peaked Ratchet's interest. He spotted no door leading outside save the wavering veils. Ratchet tried to listen beyond the wild beating of his heart, wishing to spot the location of the Unseen Destroyer though the sound of his footsteps. The silence made an unnerving tension emerge into his system, making him uneasy.

He moved discreetly to peek through the glass cabinet and as if being punished by his act of carelessness, lightning gripped his silver plating and pierced right through him. Ratchet' fur bristled as soon as the violent energy surged through his body even if the amount of pain he endured was significantly decreased thanks to his father's armor. Once he retrieved his focus he saw Thírios stand above him with light-blue rays dancing in his fingers, ready to imitate another Lighting Ravager attack. Ratchet rolled backwards to get out of range and stood up.

He looked around him and found himself among several secured OmniWrenches. In front of his was the Unseen Destroyer, a few feet away but advancing towards him with an unbreakable resoluteness. Ratchet's mind raced through his options and means of defense but they were limited to just using his melee weapon. With dispirited eyes set on his enemy and with the knowledge that every weapon could turn against him, the step Ratchet took back was a silent admittance of his dire situation.

His breathing stopped and his fingers fidgeted around the handle of his OmniWrench. A hopeful glint brightened his eyes. He felt Clank turn his head a little to get a glimpse of his face. He probably wondered why Ratchet had stopped, his radiant eyes full of confusion and curiosity.

"Oh, how I wish I had a rock now" Ratchet murmured jokingly with a smirk appearing on his face.

Clank settled and turned his head towards the cabinets. He chuckled at Ratchet's joke and eased, knowing that Ratchet had a plan.

A hint of bewilderment caught up with Thírios' expression and it was enough to dilute the cold sternness of his face. He stopped on his tracks and watched as Ratchet broke the small container next to him and retrieved another OmniWrench which he held with his left hand. It was a bit more delicate in design but wasn't much different from Ratchet's trademark weapon. Its metal parts were shining platinum, almost reflective, and the painted edges were indigo-coloured with black lights emitting from the circular parts of the edges.

Ratchet swung them a little further from his sides forcefully to test their weight and fighting use. He found out that the foreign OmniWrench was slightly lighter than his own. Once his arms balanced their different weights he securely clasped his fingers around their handles and walked towards Thírios with a newfound resolve.

The Lombax's pacing hastened, almost turning into a run as though he was yearning to get close to the Unseen Destroyer and unleash the long-contained rage upon him. Thírios seemed to give effort in order to avoid Ratchet's wrathful stare and moved sideways but his enemy was determined to make him pay for all he had done to him. Ratchet gave a forceful double strike, one OmniWrench quickly succeeding the other. The weapons had reached their target and the heavy blows sent Thírios to the ground. Ratchet was panting in eagerness to deliver another strike but before his own OmniWrench could land on him, Thirios performed a quick raising of his arm and his hand was immediately covered in black mist. The moment Ratchet perceived the movement his head began to hurt and the world around him began to spin, giving into a frantic swirl that seemed to conspire with his enemy.

The next thing he perceived was a violent gust that carried within its truculence hot grains of sand that blew against Ratchet's face. He instinctively shut his eyes and the lack of vision filled him with the need to grip his wrenches tighter, clinging to them for protection. The wind allied with him when it made Thírios' cape sway rowdily, betraying his position. Ratchet's eyes opened against the lowered eyebrows pressing them and the Lombax immediately flounced and charged towards the Unseen Destroyer.

Each OmniWrench attempted to land on the mutant Cragmite with consecutive movements but each was fated to fail as Thírios' swift dodging led them to collide with either the wooden floor or the vacancy of the air. Thírios evaded Ratchet's hostile, fixated stare through the glass cabinets and passed through the threshold of the balcony. Without delay, Ratchet's feet imitated the same path.

The black in his pair of emeralds shrunk abruptly and Ratchet averted his gaze to elude the violent light. The radiant rays of the sun distorted the view below as the sunlight was reflected by the sand and created a blinding landscape of vast, dry desert.

"I know you feel tired" Thírios' voice diminished the grandeur of the landscape, alarming Ratchet.

The Lombax searched with inquisitive eyes but Thírios wasn't present within the rather large space of the balcony. The terrace possessed the form of a wide hallway that encircled the perimeter of the building. Thus, Ratchet followed the course of the balcony slowly with two melee weapons ready to strike at any moment.

"I know you feel your strength fading by each day" the Unseen Destroyer continued, still out of sight. Ratchet kept his scouting slow as he listened. "I know you hardly find the will to sleep and eat. And even if you do, the exhaustion won't get away."

"I don't think you know that much, Thírios. You know nothing about me" Ratchet spoke with an unexpected calmness, still in full alertness and looking for any trace of his enemy's presence.

"I know your fears. That's all I need to know. It's enough to intervene with your mind and "attach" to it" a subtle laugh ended his sentence, so cunning it made Ratchet frown and halt for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"You thought the only thing I can do is mess with your thoughts? I have locked on to you now. You've allowed me full access to your mind. That's why you feel more and more afraid and so exhausted each day. You're a powerful enemy. So there's no way I'm going to leave your mind. I'll keep on weakening you day by day until you're begging to die."

A strong pound of his heart felt like a brutal assault on his chest. And then it seemed to stop. Ratchet stared at the space ahead of him with mouth agape. The weight of the OmniWrenches suddenly was enough to drag him beneath the ground. He breathed in deeply and looked around for Thírios but to no avail. The presence of that underlying, constant fear was now shrieking within his head, conquering every part of his body while coursing all over him. His ears dropped in disheartening realisation.

"I don't know why but I'm scared to death. And I feel so, so nervous. I feel like I'm gonna have a heart-attack any second now. I need to end this as soon as possible or else I'll most certainly lose it. I can't live with this anxiety for another day, I just can't take it."

Ratchet felt trespassed, violated. And any hope to win this war seemed to fade. He would soon be unable to drag his feet into another battle and Polaris would be lost with him there to witness it.

"Do not listen to this nonsense. Remember, you wanted Thírios. And you have him now. Do not let him get away this time." Like a harbour in the middle of a sea storm, Clank gave Ratchet something imminent to fight for hoping it would be enough to keep him from falling on his knees helpless.

Ratchet gave into a frantic dash and turned to the corner, ready to end Thírios' speech. He found none standing there and looked around, desperate to find him. Ratchet continued to run in order to find the Unseen Destroyer but no matter how many turns he took following the outer walls of the building, he was nowhere to be seen.

"THÍRIOS?!" he shouted, forcing all the air out of his lungs.

The silence prevailing brought about a sense of desolation that discreetly wavered around. Ratchet looked around without aim, without any glint of hope to find the Unseen Destroyer. He knew he was long gone, fleeing to keep on making his life unbearable until he had no strength left to vitalize his feet. Time was ticking, erasing seconds out of his life. Ratchet could feel he had not much time left. Life was slowly being sucked out of him. It was not only a war anymore, it was also a race.

"Look" Clank uttered aloud and pointed at the sky.

The Lombax sent his gaze to the endless sky and saw countless metal ships swim into the infinite blue. Their thrusters left a radiant line of yellow behind them following them like a long tail. Ratchet smiled weakly and the bitterness on his face was diluted with relief.

"Talwyn sent help" he muttered and kept on smiling. "Zanimal is safe. That's all that matters."

TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT

Trillions of glimmering stars adorned the night sky of Zanifar. Hues of deep violet and dark blue flooded through the atmospheric dome and bright lines of white connected the stars together. The small campfire within the Fongoid village kept cold at bay and the lively chattering of the locals was enough for Ratchet to surface from his suffocating inner abyss, at least for the time being.

He kept his distance and watched the people surrounding the fire several feet away. The Fongoids kept the shimmering blue stone on a tall, makeshift stall right next to the fire and listened to Orvus telling various stories about the origins of Time or anecdotes that made everyone break into cheerful laughter.

Clank had joined the crowd, conversing with his father and laughing, many times uncontrollably, after Orvus was done saying something and the gem's scintillating light dimmed down. Ratchet watched his friend and smiled warmly. It had been a while since Clank had so much fun and the Lombax was glad that at least one of them was able to enjoy themselves.

He sat on a rock and observed his friend's reactions to what was transpiring around the campfire. His mind raced back to Zanimal. After the military forces had arrived he tried to find Egandor and Asyrian but was unable to. To his own surprise, he also saw a few Grey Mages arrive right at the time when he was flying away with Aphelion. Loric had kept his word to help those in need unlike his predecessor, Orion. Even if he had failed to end Thírios' existence it seemed like the Universe itself was sentient, fighting this war and aiding him. In a strange way, it felt like a victory.

"Can I join you?"

Ratchet jolted and his shoulders rose in alertness. He turned his head and saw Talwyn stand near him.

"Sorry I scared you" she apologised.

"It's okay. I was just… thinking" Ratchet exhaled and turned his gaze back on the campfire.

"You do that a lot lately" Talwyn observed and sat next to him.

Ratchet remained quiet, slightly hunched as he let his tiredness expose itself through his body stance and torpid movements.

"He seems to be having a good time" Talwyn remarked.

"He's getting to know his father. At least one of us got the chance. I'm happy for him" Ratchet's statement was followed by a smile as he kept on admiring the vivid happiness of Clank.

"That's true" Talwyn simply added.

There was something missing from Talwyn's voice. It was distant and aloof, as if she was talking to a stranger. Ratchet found that odd but was too tired to try to interpret her tone. He was yearning for this war to be over. They only had to find out if Tachyon's project was terminated on Breegus Minor or if there was more to follow.

"Ratchet, this is not easy for me. It would be best if I just let things be. But I don't think you'd appreciate it if you found out I've kept you in the dark."

His ears were shot up immediately and his whole frame turned towards Talwyn. "What are you talking about?"

Talwyn looked into his curious and alert eyes. Staring at them for too long brought one heartbreak after the other. Her nails scratched the rock she was sitting on and cold sweat moistened the inner part of her clothes. She was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that she was going to irredeemably hurt him.

She inhaled a big ounce of air to drive away the dizziness and buried her face within her hands.

"Tal? What's going on?" Ratchet urged her to speak and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder.

She revealed her pale, delicate face and took the risk to look into his eyes again. "It's about a piece of information I retrieved on Breegus Minor. I doubled checked it and it turns out it's accurate."

Ratchet stared at her with the hope of extracting more words out of her. Talwyn needed some time to gather more courage before continuing.

"I know it was your choice to destroy Breegus Minor-"

"To save Zanifar!"

"I know, Ratchet!" Talwyn involuntarily raised her voice to silence the emerging guilt and agony. "I know you meant well. And you didn't know. You didn't know."

"What didn't I know?"

The Markazian shook her head and stared at the soil beneath her boots for a while. She then directed her blue orbs to the sky to steal some of the stars' serenity. She spoke with eyes still set on the sky. "When Ephemeris was created, many Tharpods sought refuge on various uninhabited planets…"

It was then when she decidedly threw herself into Ratchet's growing despair, bracing herself for the hurt that was to follow. "…some of which resided on Breegus Minor."

Ratchet's subtle breathing ceased instantly. His eyes widened and began to sparkle beneath the elegant starlight.

"What?"

He stood up and as soon as he did, everything started to spin. Curt, shallow breaths were his only movement and even that wasn't enough to quell the burning waves of raw realisation within him.

"Did I…"

A/N: I have to give credit to Josh14Raider for the idea of Thírios attaching to the mind of his victims and making them feel exhausted and hopeless. It was his idea that Thírios has "locked on" to Ratchet and is making him feel so disheartened. It also makes sense as this isn't really like Ratchet so this way it's completely justified. So big thanks to Josh14Raider.

I understand that some parts may feel a bit rushed but honestly, if I were to put great detail in every single section of the chapter it would never end. I tried to make it as fluid as possible and I hope the small rushed bits are not disappointing.

No words for the 5-month delay. It was a long one. But I have good news, the next three chapters are already written and will need few to no edits so all of them will be posted very quickly. After that, we'll see.

Thank you for reading, until next time!