In order to access the aqueduct, the water pumps had to be reactivated around the area of the city the group could access. Thankfully, with three of them flying, this didn't take long, especially with Zephyr taking out the flying Thugs before they even knew he was there. Once each of them had reactivated a pump, the trio went through the primary maintenance gate into the aqueduct itself.
A massive door blocked their path, inoperable as it lacked power. A quick glance showed power cables leading deeper into the aqueduct, which the group followed through the dark to find the controls. Save for two encounters with Thugs that were dealt with far too swiftly, the entire trip was silent and spooky, but none of the group was willing to risk discovery by breaking the silence.
Once they got the controls deep in the aqueduct and restored power, however, everything started moving again and the water started to refill. "Move!" Zephyr barked out, dashing ahead to blast out any obstacles that would get in the group's way, Ratchet and Twilight hot on his heels.
"Can you teleport us back?" Ratchet asked Twilight hopefully.
"Too much Nether Energy in the environment," Twilight pointed out breathlessly as she desperately flapped her wings for speed. "We'll just need to-"
Her words were interrupted as the water started to recede.
"There was another crank at the other end," Zephyr explained. "Turning it shut off the water pump."
"That's a relief," Twilight gasped out with a sigh as she slowed her flapping. "My wings were starting to burn."
As they exited the aqueduct, they saw a massive storm building over the no longer so distant Sky Train Station. They quickly made their way there, fighting their way through a few more Thug troops before taking an elevator up to the top of the Station. Once there, they saw the shape of the storm. Swirls of Nether Energy gathered in the clouds as Thug troops stared down at them as a sky train nearly ran them over.
Neftin slowly stepped out of a tunnel. "Can you feel that?" he asked the group. "Static electricity in the air as a result of constant transdimensional experimentation. See, without a true Dimensionator, you can't just punch a hole in the walls of reality...the trick is to wear them thin."
"And what about the Sector?" Ratchet demanded firmly. "How many lives were ruined to make this happen?"
"They had their chance to welcome us, accept us, give us a chance to do this safely," Neftin growled out. "Besides...can you imagine what it was like for us? Seeing our kin close enough to touch, but impossible to reach? Forever denied the loving embrace of a family? The people spurned us endlessly. Vendra's powers and intellect were all that kept us from physical abuse. We were kinder than that." He narrowed his eyes. "Did we uproot entire planets? Certainly. But nobody has died because of our experiments. Even when we attacked Pollyx industries, there were no casualties. Better than most of these idiots deserved, after how they treated us."
"So why are you here, then?" Twilight asked carefully. "Why aren't you with Vendra?"
"Delay," Neftin stated bluntly. "Vendra isn't quite ready to breach the boundary. It's still a matter of minutes instead of seconds. I'm here to make sure you don't reach her before that. I'd rather not kill anyone to make that happen - and Vendra would prefer you all come through this alive, too - but I think we're all in agreement that the first possibility you deduced is unacceptable, Twilight Sparkle." Neftin took a combat stance, spreading his arms wide as he directed more power to his cybernetic enhancements as he drew two spiked electro-chain flails.
As Ratchet, Clank, and Zephyr prepared for battle, Twilight frowned. "...exactly how much time does Vendra need you to buy?" she asked carefully.
"Ten minutes," Neftin stated bluntly. "And even at top speed, you're a minute away. I should be able to buy nine minutes without killing anyone."
"Give me those nine minutes to study your cybernetic augmentations so I can learn more about how Vendra's mind works, and we'll stay here without fighting you," Twilight offered.
"What?" Ratchet, Clank, and Zephyr all demanded in shock.
"Deal!" Neftin agreed immediately.
"Twilight, are you sure about this?" Ratchet asked worriedly. "What if the third possibility you deduced happens, and we aren't strong enough to deal with Mr. Eye?"
"Zoni energy from the Great Clock is what breached the barrier in the first place," Twilight explained logically. "If our weapons aren't strong enough to deal with him, we can always sic Aphelion on him. As long as Qwark is convinced Aphelion will win, odds are 99% in our favor. Failing that, I'll pump him full of a large enough magical charge he self destructs from the energy cascade."
Ratchet groaned, shaking his head as he let Twilight step forward to study Neftin.
Exactly nine minutes later, Twilight finished collating her notes. "Fascinating..." she murmured softly. "And she did all this with such...jury-rigged tech with scraps! Oh, I can't wait until I get to invent with her when she has access to high end resources to work with!"
"You seem convinced this will end in your favor," Vendra spoke up as she entered, the Dimensionator in her hands.
"Well, there are only two possibilities now," Twilight explained with a smile. "And either way, we end up friends at the least, family at most."
"And what if I don't end up with Ratchet, hmm?" Vendra asked cautiously.
"It's an inevitability at this point if it's possibility two," Twilight pointed out. "Just give it enough time. As for possibility three, if you do find you just don't click with Daddy and sharing him with the others, I'll browbeat Mervin into adopting you."
"Who?" Vendra and Neftin asked, confused.
"Oh, Dr. Nefarious to you," Twilight explained. "But if he adopts you, he'll be Daddy to you, and then I'll be your Mommy!" Her eyes lit up, and she hopped from hoof to hoof. "Oh, that's even more exciting! And if you end up with Daddy even after that, I'll be my own Grandma!"
"...ow..." Ratchet and Clank mumbled, putting a hand to their heads.
Vendra's eyes widened in surprise. "You'd do that...for us?" Twilight nodded happily.
"But...but we're five years older than you!" Neftin insisted. "How can you become our Mom?"
"My BBBFF is more than twice Dad's age," Twilight pointed out. "What does that have to do with it?"
"...ow..." Neftin agreed, putting a hand to his forehead.
Vendra stared at the Dimensionator in her hands, now unsure. "...I'm almost not sure I should keep going now..."
"You should," Twilight insisted. "If possibility 2, powerful new allies. If possibility 3, sealing the breach will actually be easier after it's all the way open." She smiled somewhat sadly. "Besides, at this point I'd still have to throw you in jail if you don't."
"Then here goes everything," Vendra muttered, putting the Dimensionator on her head and floating upward as it activated. "Dimensionator! Find the Nethers!"
Nethers came flying out of portals as the boundary weakened...and a massive shape erupted out of the sky. Mr. Eye was easily as large as a starship, heavily armored and almost completely stabilized within the armor. Two massive claws hung from his fish-like body on then arms, a massive jaw filled with needle-pointed teeth hanging open under his single eye. As the Dimensionator shut down, Mr. Eye barked out, "Salacuto..."
One of the Nethers swam up and seized Vendra. "What?" she gasped out, stunned. "What are you doing?"
"Vendra-zigob-eenid-agoo-sham," Mr. Eye growled out.
"What did he say?" Ratchet whispered to Twilight as she looked at her collated notes on Nether language.
Twilight's eyes narrowed, her face both hard and sad. "...that we were right..."
"Pawn?" Vendra gasped out. "But...you were supposed to be my friend!" As the Nether clutching her pulled back, her eyes hardened. "Twilight was right about you, you bas-"
Her words were cut off in a scream as she was hurled back through a portal.
"Vendra!" Neftin screamed out in fear.
"Don't worry," Twilight whispered to him. "The Dimensionator will regulate her even within the Netherverse for a good while. It won't be that long before we're able to get ahold of the real one and fetch her back directly. In the meantime-"
"Dimensionator no longer in this level of reality," Aphelion spoke up through the comms. "Risk of trans-dimensional rip now minimal. Engaging assault and pickup."
Mr. Eye spun with a roar only to be knocked across the planet as Aphelion rammed into him in mech mode, before converting back into ship mode and zipping back over to the group. "Everyone on board!" she insisted. "We need to leave now!"
"Set course for Planet Thram!" Neftin called out as the others boarded. "I'll meet you there-"
"I said everyone!" Aphelion snapped, grabbing Neftin in a claw arm and dropping him into the canopy before shooting into the sky.