Once In A Memory [ A Ratchet And Clank Fanfiction ]

Prologue

Welcome back, readers! I would like to present to you the rewritten version of Once In A Memory! Yes, this is different from the original, however, I had readers save the original just in case they want ideas from it. HOWEVER, you DO NOT have my permission to re-upload the old version (or this version) on Wattpad or any other site. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please show your support in the comments or just follow this story. Your support fuels me, and I wish to write the best for you! I will answer any questions you may have, so feel free to PM me or just leave a question in the comments!

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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Also, to explain my AU before this story starts, my AU happens right after Ratchet and Clank A Crack In Time, right after the great clock....incident. Instead, because of a little malfunction, our favorite Lombax, Ratchet, is somehow transported to an alternate Lombax dimension, where his parents (and a non-exiled Alister) reside. Some things happened differently in this alternate reality, therefore, this is the start of my AU...

Thank you for reading! Sorry for any spelling and grammar errors!

P.S - I hope you like this new version, the next chapter will be out soon depending on the feedback I get from this chapter. If it's not good, I will do my best to fix things and make the next chapter better.