Consideration and Reconciliation
Summary: What were going through the minds of Ben, Kevin, and Gwen during The Enemy of my Frenemy? SPOILERS.
Death
Ben
Ben had thought Chromastone was a good idea. When he flew to the magic generator thing, he flew with his usual confidence. He knew he was going to succeed.
Yet, it didn't quite work out that way. When he stepped into the magic, he knew then that there was just too much power. Ben couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't hear anything except for his screams of pain. Oh, god, so much pain. He was half aware and half not. Ben tried to force himself to move, just move out of the magic, but he couldn't. He was trapped and it was too painful to just even think and he couldn't help but think that he was going to die and he hoped that Gwen and Kevin could defeat Charmcaster and live without him. He wondered how Grandpa Max and his mother and father were going to react when they heard about his death. He wondered whether or not Julie would cry for him. He hoped that she would move on, to find someone better than him. He could feel himself disintegrating, but he couldn't help but think that this was the second time Chromastone had failed him.
A flash of green light, a feeling of falling, and that was the last thing Ben knew.
Kevin
Kevin could hear Ben's screams of pain behind him. It wasn't the first time he heard such a thing. He always seemed to be in pain; Ben always seemed to get into trouble. Kevin knew that Ben could handle it, could survive it. He survived everything else; he could survive whatever 'Caroline' threw at him.
That's why he was surprised when a pinkish blob came out of Ben's body and went into the generator. Kevin knew that the blob had to be Ben's soul, that Ben was dead. He could hear Gwen screaming, "Ben! NO!" shocked. He knew that Gwen would let her guard down and that Charmcaster would take advantage of that. It was what he would have done when he was younger.
Charmcaster threw a spell in Gwen's direction. Knowing that it would kill him, Kevin flew into the spell, protecting Gwen from death. As he felt his life drained away, he couldn't help but think, 'I told you so'.
Gwen
Gwen couldn't believe her eyes. Ben, her cousin Ben, that cocky, arrogant, loveable, invincible fool had…died. As soon as she saw the soul go out of Ben and into the generator, she forgot that she had been battling Charmcaster, that she was on Ledgerdomain. Even Kevin fell out of her mind.
"Ben! NO!" she heard someone shout dimly. Wait, was that her? Was it her that shouted?
She turned her back on Charmcaster. She regretted it when Kevin had jumped in front of her to take a spell. He slammed into her and they both went flying backwards. She glanced at Kevin, whose eyes were wide open in shock and pain. She saw the soul rise out of him and go into the, not magic oh she knew it wasn't magic now, soul generator. Tears welled up in her eyes. She was glad, seeing Kevin's face, that Ben had died face down. She wouldn't have to see his last expression. The pain in her chest grew. How did this happen? How did they manage to fall so quickly? Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Charmcaster with anger. She did this. She killed Ben and Kevin and Gwen was never going to see their eyes full of light and life again. Gwen shed her skin and became her full Anodite.
"I was waiting for that," said Charmcaster.
A flash of pink, a painful draining, and Gwen knew that she would be joining Ben and Kevin. And she was happy.
Life
Ben
Dying was weird, Ben thought to himself later, staring up at his ceiling. He mended his thought: dying and coming back to life was weird. There was no heaven or hell as he had thought, as he had been brought up to think. There was only darkness and an unawareness that if he didn't knew that he had died, he would have thought that he had just fallen asleep. It was dangerous how close they had been to dying forever. Oh, yes, they had died, but it wasn't permanent. Yet, he knew that something about him, about all of them, had changed. He had tried to laugh it off on the Rustbucket III, but he had still been shaking, still hearing the echo of his screams.
Ben had never thought that his death would happen, might happen. Sure, he sacrificed himself for the Ultimate Aliens a while back, but it was different. He had felt nothing then, he had been determined, and he hadn't really thought about it before jumping into the fire. All he could think was about the aliens. Ben was glad that he had actually been alive.
Yet, there was something different about dying in Ledgerdomain. Perhaps it was the fact that he had actually died. Perhaps it was because he had thought that Charmcaster was better, was less evil, to kill thousands of people just to bring back her father. He knew that although Kevin loved his father dearly that even Kevin wouldn't kill thousands, hundred of thousands, of people to bring back his father. Well, perhaps this Kevin, but still. Either way, what Charmcaster did was pure evil. He felt no sympathy for her.
He hadn't told his mother or father that he had died. He didn't tell Grandpa Max either. Why worry them, when he was still alive?
Ben had trouble sleeping that night.
Kevin
Kevin hadn't wanted to leave either Ben or Gwen, especially Gwen. Although he didn't know what had happened after his…y'know…'passing', he knew that Gwen had died from the way that she looked after it was all over. Then again, he was sure that they were all a little haunted from what had happened. There's a difference, knowing that your loved ones could…'depart', may 'depart' than actually experiencing it for yourself. Just like how there was a difference from knowing that one mistake, one tiny little mistake, could kill you.
Although, jumping in front of that spell and dying instead of Gwen wasn't a mistake. Going to Ledgerdomain, on the other hand, was. And he had known it too. Okay, perhaps he shouldn't have laughed and fired up Gwen's temper, but, really, going to save Charmcaster? Maybe now, they would see things his way.
If they had seen things his way, thought a voice, maybe you wouldn't have died. Maybe Gwen and Ben wouldn't have died.
Shut it, he told the voice angrily.
Kevin knew that it was probably a sign of insanity to fight with a voice in your mind, yet it was right. That was weird, a voice in his head was right, but it was true. If they had just listened to him, they wouldn't have died. Why couldn't they have just listened to him?
Kevin had trouble sleeping that night.
Gwen
Gwen knew that she needed all the sleep that she could get. She would have to wake up at her usual time, but she just couldn't sleep. All she could think about was Ledgerdomain and what had happened. To be honest, she felt pity for Charmcaster. Gwen knew that there was a void that Charmcaster couldn't fill, wouldn't be able to fill. Gwen would gladly help Charmcaster fill that void, but she probably wouldn't let Gwen.
Plus, Ben and Kevin probably wouldn't agree, she thought to herself.
Gwen felt this weird…connection with Charmcaster. It was different from Sunny, who was Gwen's alternate in every way. Gwen had bonded with Charmcaster to that first trip to Ledgerdomain.
But maybe Charmcaster didn't feel that bond. Maybe that was why she tried to kill them.
Still, Charmcaster's life was probably so empty now. Without a goal, without a focus, how would Charmcaster even survive in life?
Gwen didn't know why she was so worried about Charmcaster. Her cousin, boyfriend, and even herself died today! Then again, Ben was strong; Kevin was strong. They would get over it: Ben was even joking about it in the Rustbucket III! Gwen ignored the little voice that said that Ben's voice had been shaky and sounded fake.
She tried to tell herself that everyone would be fine, that everyone was fine and that everything would be alright.
Gwen had trouble sleeping that night.
Together
And if they all gathered together at Gwen's house, pale and eyes haunted from memories, both real and fake, no one commented on it. They were together and everyone was alright. That was all that mattered.
A/N: Don't really like it, sadly. Bit off on the facts, I know that Ben had tried to get up after slamming into the ground, but I made him die as soon as he hit the ground. Other than that, and the terrible OOCness, I find it alright. Not sure about the title; didn't want to spoil it for anyone. I'm still not sure if the title works; I hate titling stuff. I always fail at it. Thanks for reading!