"Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy!" Twilight squealed happily, bouncing in the back seat of their ship as Clank set course for Planet Umbris. "We're going to go through Captain Qwark's training course! We're going to prove to be true heroes by the Qwark standard! And then we're going to save the galaxy with him!"
"Calm down, Twilight!" Ratchet cautioned as her bouncing rocked the spacecraft. "You don't want to use up all your energy getting excited about the course and then have none left to clear it, do you?"
Twilight immediately settled down. "Right. Conserve energy, show my stuff!" She was still grinning from ear to ear with excitement, and a quiet "Eeeeeeee!" escaped her mouth as she struggled to control herself.
Ratchet rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Kids," he said jokingly to Clank as he initiated lift off, forgetting for the moment that he himself had gotten just as excited over sillier things as little as two years ago.
As they arrived on Planet Umbris, Qwark greeted them via a megaphone on a helicopter. "Welcome to my Challenge Course," he called out. "Now is your chance to prove yourselves strong and brave, like me!" He chuckled deprecatingly. "Conquer it, and you'll join me in my fight against evil!"
"Haven't we done enough already!" Ratchet called back.
"We'll clear this course in record time, sir!" Twilight called out.
"What?" Qwark called out. "I can't hear you!"
As Ratchet tried shouting louder, Twilight frowned. Focusing her magic, a spot of glowing light appeared in front of her mouth and another right beside Qwark's ear. "We'll clear this course in record time, sir!" she said clearly into the glowing spot, her words coming out the other right into Qwark's ear.
"That's the spirit!" Qwark called back. "Do me proud!" He lowered the megaphone. "Do me proud..." he mumbled.
Clank wasn't certain, but he could have sworn he saw a brief conflicted look flash across Qwark's face as the chopper flew off.
"Alright!" Twilight said eagerly. "Let's go!" Turning, she rushed off towards the course.
"Twilight!" Ratchet called after her, yanking Clank onto his back as he ran. "Wait up! Be careful!"
Twilight, however, plainly had no intention of slowing down. Leaping into a long glide over the first gap, she used her Swingshot to latch onto the second target for an extra boost in speed and altitude, which allowed her to easily glide over the first bomb launching turret, dropping a bomb from her own modified bomb glove to blow it up and clear the path for Ratchet. A fireball from her horn took out the next one as she came in for a landing on the bridge. As she came across the first set of proximity mines, she seized them in her telekinesis, dragging them along behind her as she ran.
Discovering that she was actually too small a target for the machine gun turrets to track, she ignored them and merely leapt over the fire when the automatic sweep came towards her. She used the proximity mines she seized to take out any others she encountered along the path, along with bomb launching turrets she could destroy, always making sure to hold at least three mines for emergencies.
When she reached the first switch locked door, she managed it easily by stepping on one switch while pressing the other two with her telekinesis. It was only after pressing them all that she realized they were on a timer and did not have to be pressed simultaneously. Chuckling at her own exuberance, she managed the next switch set that way, using her captured mines and a fireball to take out the four bomb turrets in the way.
As she crossed the next bridge, she had a momentary panic moment as part of the bridge started to collapse under her. However, quick thinking and a magic step held it in place until she'd disembarked on the other side, letting it fall. Glancing back, she made sure the gap was narrow enough that Ratchet and Clank could clear it with the Heli-pack, then continued onward. Recognizing the unsteady platforms of the next bridge, she created a single magic step to cover the whole bridge to cross on.
Using her hover board, racing through the barbed wire maze proved easy, as the board actually kept her above the level of the machine gun fire. Clearing the next gap with her Swingshot, she continued through the next set of obstacles. Her hover board made the following maze of machine gun fire and switches easy to clear, using her telekinesis to depress the switches while hovering above the machine gun fire on her board. Finding the door the switches opened, she continued onward.
Past another switch set and an easily dispatched group of mines, and after climbing a ladder using her magic steps - utilizing three at a time as Clank had suggested, and anchoring them in the walls for extra stability - she was forced to come to a screeching halt at the edge of a large pool. Her ears went flat against her skull. "No fair!" she whimpered, staring in despair at the obstacle she couldn't easily clear. Managing to glide over to another platform, she sighed. "And I was doing so well."
Spotting a large, predatory looking fish in the pool, Twilight seized it in her telekinesis and levitated it out of the water. She did a quick scan with her magic. "Well, I am getting hungry," she decided. Sending a spear of magic into the fish's skull, she killed it quickly and cleanly before roasting it with a fireball. She then proceeded to fill her stomach as she waited for Ratchet and Clank to catch up.
As she'd cleared most of the obstacles from the course, she didn't have long to wait. "Hey Twilight!" Ratchet called, leaping across to her. "I told you to wait up!"
"Sorry," Twilight apologized. "Guess I got a little excited. Hungry?" She offered Ratchet some of the roated fish.
"Starved!" Ratchet replied eagerly, grabbing a hunk of the fish. "Thanks, Twi!" He chowed down eagerly. "But how come you stopped?"
"Because I can't swim," Twilight reminded him sadly.
Ratchet smacked his face with his hand. "Dang, keep forgetting to teach you when we get a chance. Well, don't worry. We don't need to swim here." Grinning, he pulled out the Hydrodisplacer. "Ta-da! Here you go!"
Twilight blinked at the one popular Gadgetron gadget she hadn't been on the development team for. "So...what is it?"
"It is a Hydrodisplacer," Clank commented.
"Sweet! I've always wanted one of these..." Twilight struggled to say enthusiastically. Taking it in her magical aura, she examined it carefully. "I...think?"
"Try using it on that interface," Clank suggested, gesturing to an object Twilight didn't recognize.
Shrugging, Twilight did so, then stared in amazement as the pool instantly drained into the Hydrodisplacer. "Sweet!" she said eagerly, leaping down into the drained pool.
"What happened to wait up?" Ratchet yelled after her, rushing to follow.
"I promised Captain Qwark I'd make a record for the course!" Twilight called back. "I have to make up for lost time!"
Running through the tube at the bottom of the pool, Twilight used a magic bridge to cross the next pool, hearing Ratchet just behind her. Emptying the hydrodisplacer into the ocean off the side of the platform, Twilight drained the next pool, followed the no longer underwater path, and used magic steps to allow herself and Ratchet to ascend back to the path.
Using a series of small magic bridges in the same style of her magic steps, the trio crossed the next two pools - one full, one empty - depressing the switches to open the door as they went. Continuing through the narrow path, Twilight spotted Captain Qwark waiting for them.
"We made it!" Twilight called out happily, rushing up to the Captain. "Did we make a record? Did we? Did we?"
Qwark looked quite shocked to see them so soon. "Indeed you did!" he proclaimed. "You cleared the course faster than I usually do." Remembering what he'd seen of Twilight's capabilities, he had to ask, "Umm, it's still more or less in one piece, right?"
"I only broke turrets!" Twilight promised.
Qwark chuckled happily. "Well, well, you three continue to surprise me." He frowned slightly, a conflicted expression crossing his face.
As he watched the unfolding of events from within the Great Clock, Orvus paused time once more as something caught his eye.
"Is something the matter, sir?" Sigmund asked. "Is this moment important?"
"Indeed it is," Orvus said, looking at the readings the Clock's systems gave him. "Three possible futures exist here, all resting on the decisions of that man. And one such path...could lead to the destruction of several galaxies, the ultimate failure of the Great Clock, and the destruction of all reality."
Sigmund shivered. "You mean the fate of all existence rests on him?" Sigmund asked. "We're doomed!"
"Not so," Orvus interrupted. "That future of total loss requires him to be clever here."
"We're saved!" Sigmund cried happily. Orvus couldn't help but laugh at that.
Still, Orvus thought to himself, which path will you walk, Captain? If you are blinded by greed and weakness, the path shall make both Ratchet and Twilight into much greater warriors, and eventually lead to greatness for all of you. But if you heed honor, this journey will be much shorter...and there is no predicting what will come with future events when your nemesis returns. And more than that, the four stars may not form.
Orvus sighed sadly. What kind of universe is this...that the good must be evil for the sake of history?
"Step into the Ring of Heroes," Qwark said, jumping back onto a floating platform, "and I will finally give you what you deserve."
Clank eagerly raced onto the platform.
Orvus held his breath as he watched.
"Ratchet!" Clank called back as Twilight raced onto the platform as well. "This is no time to be cautious! We have reached our goal!"
"Come on Daddy!" Twilight yelled happily, bouncing on the platform. "We're going to be heroes!"
Orvus exhaled explosively in relief. "The darkest path has been evaded..."
Cautiously, Ratchet stepped out onto the platform. "...something fishy's going on here," he mumbled under his breath, watching Qwark.
Qwark stared at the three of them on the platform for a time, his face in an agony of indecision. Then, his eyes closed, he pressed the switch behind his back.
The platform dropped, letting the trio fall into the depths.
Orvus sat back sadly, frowning.
"What's wrong, sir?" Sigmund asked. "Is...is this a bad path?"
"Ultimately? No," Orvus said sadly. "Ultimately, it will lead to great things, and the awakening of the Four Stars."
"Four Stars?" Sigmund asked.
"Not a part of our responsibility," Orvus explained, "but something that has to happen nonetheless." He sighed sadly. "But...this path will lead to mistakes, regrets, and pains that may never fade completely. Fate sometimes demands great sacrifice." He shook his head. "And sometimes...none can be sure if they were worth it."
As the trio landed softly, thanks to a quick inertia dampening spell from Twilight, they looked around, Clank and Twilight in confusion, Ratchet in sudden rage. Seeing Qwark lowering down on the platform, Twilight spoke up. "Captain! Why?"
Qwark frowned down at her. "I'm the spokesman for Drek's new planet," he explained. "That means, amongst other things, I have to stop anything getting in the way of the planet being completed. And...unfortunately, that means you three."
"You won't get away with this!" Ratchet snarled, brandishing his wrench as Twilight shrunk in on herself in tears.
"...one can only hope," Qwark muttered under his breath, his eyes still on Twilight. "I wish it hadn't had to come to this," he said sadly, his platform rising up as a large green beast broke free of its bindings. "I never wanted to hurt you, Twilight. I'm...so sorry." On those last words, his platform vanished.
As the Blargian roared, stomping its way towards them, Ratchet leapt to Twilight's defense, as she just huddled there. The worst part for Twilight was that, somehow, she knew Qwark's apology was the truest words he spoke there. For some reason, that realization came on the heels of an unfamiliar taste in her mouth that she somehow knew was the taste of apples. "No..." she muttered, clenching herself.
"Twilight?" Clank asked nervously.
"No..." Twilight repeated, green fog leaking out the edges of Twilight's closed eyes. "No!" she screamed, red energy pouring forth from her horn, instead of her usual purple. "No!"
On this last scream, she jerked her head. Red energy surrounded the Blargian, and it was flung forcefully through the solid rock of the chamber's ceiling.
Back in his ship as he flew off, Qwark was surprised as he saw the Blargian come bursting out of the mountain, fly off into the distance, and crash into the sea. "Nope!" he said quickly, focusing on his course. "Didn't see it, didn't see it..."
Back in the magma chamber, Twilight buried her face in Ratchet's chest. "Why?" she wailed. "Why would he do this?"
Ratchet, at a loss for what else to do, held her close and stroked her comfortingly. Clank stood back, struggling to control his own emotional state.
In the Great Clock, Orvus sighed as he watched events unfold. "This is the path fate requires," he explained to Sigmund. "This is the darkness I foresaw, that I wish could have been avoided."
Sigmund stared, wiping his optics as he saw the filly's sorrow.
Okay I'm new to Ratchet and Clank.... but that was a DICK move on Qwark's part. Is he always this much of an ass?
5701602
In the original game, he doesn't show any remorse at all and gloats about it. I think I actually made him a bit more human here.
...which may actually make it worse, possibly.
5701608 It works... but yeah it does make the betrayal worse.
5701602 Yes, yes he is.... sorta
Well damn
Fate...is at total bitch.
...Damn...
...I actually feel sorry for Quark... imagine what Twilight will do to him when she get's ahold of him!
Damn...That's sad But we all knew this was coming, right?
Man, now I am wondering if you are going to do Deadlocked.
But with this vetsion, I actually dont hate Quwark... too much.
Hmmm.... This makes me wonder what's in store for dr. Neferious.... After all, all he wants to do really is get back at his high school bully by destroying everything he cares for... And then I got the mental image of heavy, nefarious and fortress shy having tea time...
5701608
That was a good move on your part as I felt the same way when I played the game, Great job so far.
THE FEELS! WHY!?
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's amazing, what one person can do by being at the right place, at the right time...
Hmm. Interesting. I think I'll actually stay my hand and keep my thoughts to myself, here.
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Pictures as relevant as it gets
"QWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAARK!!!!!"
"You go right back and apologize to Twilight Sparkle, Mister. That filly looked up to you and did everything you asked of her, and this is how you repay her!? This is how you repay all your fans? You should be ashamed of yourself!"
wait four stars, nightmare moon or Luna is going to show up!!!!
5702321 Why do you say that? Orvus did mention the formation of the stars right? Don't you also think it's more related to the Ratchet and Clank universe?
5702448 if you played all the RaC games you would know this
You thought game Ratchet was pissed when Qwark betrayed them? This one is going to rip his ass off for hurting daddy's little girl.
5702537 Sadly, I didn't. The only ones I played were Going Commando, Up your Arsenal, Deadlocked and a partial bit of Size Matters.
...As if Ratchet didn't have enough reason to be pissed at Quark in the game, now he can add 'upsetting his little girl' to it.
As for Twilight not knowing how to swim, I think Jowaii Resort on Pokitaru would be the best place, but you'll have to adjust canon from one o2 mask to two.
5702628
Or just have Twilight use the same duplication spell she used to make her Omniwrench.
5702605 do you even know who
Orvus is then
Oh, Qwark. You are such a failure.
Orvus...what are you foreseeing? And do you already know that the good Doctor will be your end? Did you ALWAYS know?
5702637 A bit predictable. If the owner has an adult size for Ratchet and a children's one that Twilight re-shapes, it'd be less so.
5703124
Hmm...true.
I was honestly using Twilight's incompatibility with water environments as a balancing force. Using Twilight as a character for a multiplayer setting, her abilities - especially once she can fly for real - will put her several notches above anyone else. Being completely cut off from exploration underwater, however, would act as a balancing force, as well as forcing her to seek alternative routes. ...bad idea?
5703134 Remembering that Up Your Arsenal has a world that REQUIRES going into water, even if she sticks with Skidd, after reaching Nefarious' office, they jump down a pipe into water. At the very least she needs to learn to swim ON water.
5703149
Except that Ratchet is sent through that underwater segment alone. And that's the only segment that requires you to swim through.
5703157 Again, AFTER meeting up with Clank in the office, they jump down a pipe into water.
5703166
They jump down a pipe that leads into water. There's nothing to prevent Twilight from standing on Ratchet's chest on the way down and then leaping off to glide to one of the bridges...assuming Twilight's even assigned to the mission on Aquatos.
Ah, I have only played a little of the games but I did like them and they did stay in my memories. I really like the story and how it is turning out so far. Best thing is, I never played the full game so no stupid spoilers for me... except
I believe the captain later gets brainwashed.
5702747 Only thing I know about Orvus is that he was Clanks Father/Creator and is living in the great clock in another sector of the universe. I went to the wiki for spoilers because I don't have the platform to play the later games. So my knowledge is very skeleton at best. And possibly full of holes. I remember better when I play the games myself sadly.
Yay for update and getting in the Hydrodisplacer line in, you've made at least two people happy with that.
And Qwark screws up on being a good role model... again. Oh well, guess that's why they say 'never meet your idols'.
5703172 but the O2 Mask is used for more than just water travel. unless you have a plan for the future space walks or Orxon's poisonous air?
Nightmare Twilight uh?
5704058
There's not much to know, actually.
WARNING: SPOILERS!
Basically Orvus was a member of a species of beings of energy contained in bio-mechanical bodies, called Zony. The Zonie were extremely advanced and had access to very powerful temporal devices and allowed such access to the fongoids (late series species). As the fongoids used these devices, the constant stress on the space-time continuum began to cause it to break apart, until finally it did, which caused a massive release of temporal energy that destroyed countless systems. It would've destroyed the entire universe if Orvus didn't use his knowledge to construct the Great Clock, which combated the damage and restored the continuum to a stable condition.
Later on, he realized he would need an heir, so he caused the malfunction at the robot factory on Zanifar that created Clank. Sadly, Orvus was forced to kill himself as to prevent Dr. Nefarious from taking the information of the Great Clock, and ultimately, the Orvus Chamber, which is basically the core of the entire facility, and where one can actually have very limited control over time and space, the maximum being six minutes.
But before he could, Nefarious was able to find out that Clank was the one who could access the Chamber, and sought to capture him. Nefarious thought he could use the Clock to completely control time, and refused to listen to fact that if he did he would destroy the clock, and ultimately, the entire universe.
In the end, it was the Zony who found him first, and brought him to the Clock before Ratchet could stop them. Dr. Nefarious tricked the Zony into thinking that he could help Clank "remember" his heritage, and assume his ownership over the Clock.
Instead, Nefarious tried to get into Clank's mind to find out how he could get into the Orvus chamber. However, due to his short temper and constant frustration at Clank's firewalls, he ended up taking the Clock by storm, attacking the Zony and capturing the Clock. In the process, Clank managed to escape, and with the help of Sigmund (Orvus's assistant) managed to correct the damage to time caused by Nefarious.
While this was happening, Ratchet, with the help of Quark, was trying to find Clank. He later found another Lombax by the name of Alistair Azimuth who was friends with Ratchet's father. He wanted to find the Clock as well, but only so he could use it to reverse time so he could prevent the near extinction of the Lombax species that he accidentally caused when he allowed Percival Tachyon access the Lombax's technology, and that in the end Tachyon Betrayed the Lombax, and sought to hunt them down to the point were most of the survivors had to flee to another dimension, leaving behind an exiled Azimuth, an orphaned Ratchet, and Angela Cross (who makes an appearance in Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando as the Unknown Thief).
By the end of the game, Ratchet kills(?) Dr. Nefarious and rescues Clank several times. However, Ratchet is killed by Azimuth himself when he too ignored the warnings and, in a fit of desperation, tried set the Clock to go back in time. However, Clank reached the Orvus Chamber first and locked him out, and, upon remembering The Plumber's ominous words," I wouldn't risk any more than six minutes.", set the Clock to go back six minutes, which he used to save Ratchet from being killed by Azimuth.
By the time Ratchet and Clank reach the Chamber, it is too late; Azimuth set the Clock to back in time way farther than it could handle, and by the time Ratchet defeats Azimuth, the Clock goes into critical failure. It is then that Azimuth realizes what he has done, and sacrifices himself to stop the Clock from destroying itself and the universe.
The game ends with Orvus saying, "...And remember: The universe has a wonderful sense of humor. The trick is learning how to take a joke. he he he he he he.
Any questions?
Oops! Second read-through, and I caught this:
Thought you'd might like to know.
Um... pretty sure that's supposed to be the Blargian Snaggle Beast. At least, that's what Quark calls it in his commercial for Al's Robo Shack, and what Racket calls a figure of the very same beasty in the board game he plays with Clank in the opening to Up Your Arsenal (the one that's alergic to Mutant Swap Flies).
5701610 I agree. This is screwed up! Qwark just... HE CARED FOR HER! And he still just...
Rereading the story gives a lot of hints that would be a long time in coming to fruition. I enjoyed the four stars call coward to the current ongoing plot of Twilight, Quark, Alastar, and Nefarious teaming up. Great job Tatsurou!
7255193
Actually, the Four Stars has nothing to do with the 4-gotten arc, as when I was back at this point I was still planning on skipping All 4 One.
5702321
I will say this is the closest guess as far as the meaning of 'Four Stars' comes. And that is all I will say.
Twilight is being pretty homicidal for a 6 year old.
7472171 grow up in violence and you turn out violent she helps make weapons (and most foes are wild deadly beasts or robot that might help
7368317
Well now. Though it could have been those stars after reading that comment. But then again, I don't know much about Ratchet & Clank
Baby Twi was.......betrayed?
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The fact that I haven't played the games makes this far more enjoyable.
never piss off twilight sparkle it's bad for your health
Three paths? I get that Qwark's betrayal would toughen them up, and NOT betraying them would leave them underpowered for the future, but what was the third path? Fake betrayal?