This story was requested by Sindrak. Here you go, Amigo! Enjoy! Ben 10 and it's aliens belong to Cartoon Network and Man of Action and the two Ectonurite twins' names were thought up by Sindrak. I own nothing!

Even Alien Ghosts Need Forgiveness

Zs'Skayr sighed as he sat down in a chair in his new castle he had built after the last one on Anur Transyl had been destroyed. He was so weary after that fight with Ben Tennyson, his body was still recovering from Atomix's Fusion Cuisine attack. He sighed again and looked at the time. It was almost seven-thirty. Time to wake up his two nieces.

The two little ones, Ev'lyn and Ell'uise, were his only joy in his life. They actually made him smile and he had promised his sister long ago that he wouldn't let the girls grow up to be evil like he was. She had told him they would be his reason to live again and to one day stop being evil. Although he was a bit reluctant, he promised he would take good care of them.

That was before she had been captured by humans and killed.

Zs'Skayr now shed a tear as he remembered receiving the horrible news and telling his two nieces that their mother was in a better place, leaving out what had happened.

Now, it had been close to six years since then and the little twins were now seven years old. He smiled at the thought. They were growing up so quickly and were good little girls, staying in the living area of the castle and away from the labs.

Now, the ghost leaned on his scythe to rise from his chair and he floated down the hallway, failing to notice he was being watched.

Ben Tennyson had originally gone to do patrol in Transylvania when he had spotted the castle and became suspicious. Leaving Rook to guard and call for back-up if needed, Ben turned the dial of his Omnitrix and pressed Nanomech's face, transforming down into the small alien before flying off into the castle.

He now watched as Zs'Skayr moved down the hallway and stopped at a bedroom with bright stickers on the door. He opened the door and Ben watched as the ghost alien moved into the room and looked around. "Ev'lyn? Ell'uise?" he called out. "Where are you two?"

Ben was confused. Who was he calling out to? He soon found out.

Zs'Skayr didn't see the girls in their room and wondered where they were when suddenly, he felt something land on his back and a second something landed a few seconds later, making him fall to the floor as very loud giggles filled the room.

"Got you, Uncle Zs'Skayr!" said a voice and the elder ghost turned his head to see the two girls on his back, giggling.

"Do you now?" he asked with a playful grin, his one eye sparkling a little as he swiftly pinned both girls and tickled them. "You think you can scare your uncle and get away with it, you little sneaks?"

Both youngsters laughed and Ben felt a smile tug at his face as the girl's laughter was contagious. After a few minutes, the purple cloaked ghost let them up.

"It's time to start the day, little ones," he said to them.

One floated up to him and grabbed his arm. "Play with us, Uncle Zs'Skayr," she pleaded.

"Please?" her sister pleaded, their one purple eyes widening as they pleaded.

Chuckling, Zs'Skayr ruffled each of the girl's red hair, noticing that they had already gotten dressed, but the bows on the front of their dresses were a bit askew, as were their purple hair ribbons. "Let me fix your dress bows and hair bows and then we'll play," he said to them.

Squealing happily, both girls settled down as their uncle retied their dress bows and then sat down in a chair and picked up a brush. "Ev'lyn," he said and said girl came up and sat in his lap as he brushed her hair and tied the purple ribbon in her hair. When he was finished, she floated over to the toy chest while Ell'uise sat in her uncle's lap and he brushed her hair as well, remembering how his sister had red hair too and thankful that the girls had inherited much of their mother.

"There," he said as he finished tying Ell'uise's hair ribbon, picking her up and holding her in his arms as she hugged him and he returned the affection.

Ev'lyn had set up the play table with dolls and a play tea set. "Play dolls and tea party with us, Uncle," she said and he floated over, sitting down in the seat that was a tad small, but he didn't mind. It made his nieces happy that he played with them.

After about an hour of playing dolls, the girls played dress up and although he felt his ego take a bit of a blow, he let them dress him up in a pink dress with a pink hat and a pink boa. Ben, while still in Nanomech form, did his best not to laugh aloud at the sight of his enemy letting two young girls dress him up and commenting on how pretty their uncle looked. Ben could've sworn he saw Zs'Skayr's face turn a bit red at that.

After playing dress-up, Zs'Skayr prepared breakfast for the girls and they ate, afterwards begging him to play doctor with them. Smiling, he agreed.

Ben watched with amazement as Zs'Skayr allowed his nieces to give him an 'examination', and smiled when the girls tickled Zs'Skayr playfully and the older Ectonurite retaliated playfully until the girls were tired from the tickle torture and asked to watch a movie.

The movie, to Ben's surprise, was the one about Care Bears helping the world with their special abilities. What surprised the teen hero more was that his enemy was watching the movie as well. It seemed the surprises just wouldn't end.

Night came on too quickly and the girls got ready for bed. "Uncle Zs'Skayr, read us a story," asked Ev'lyn.

"Alright," he said and read them Cinderella's story. After that, Ell'uise perked up.

"Tell us one of your stories, Uncle," she asked.

Zs'Skayr smiled at them. "Which one do you want to hear?" he asked them.

"The best one," they said in unison, making him chuckle as he then tickled them again, hearing them giggle loudly, especially when he blew raspberries into their small stomachs. After a few moments, he sat down on the large bed the girls shared and they snuggled up to him.

"A long time ago, there was a young man who acquired a very powerful weapon, one that was so powerful that many desired to have it for either their pleasure or their plans of destruction," Zs'Skayr began and continued with the tale. Ben listened when he realized the Ectonurite was talking about him. He listened all the way to the end.

"And that boy is still making sure the world is safe from people like the monster he had beaten in battle," Zs'Skayr finished.

"What about his friend? Did he forgive him?" asked Ev'lyn, referring to the part where a young boy had been turned into a mutant. Ben realized, with a tug of regret, that Ev'lyn was asking about Kevin Levin.

Zs'Skayr turned to her. "I do not know," he said.

"I think he did," said Ell'uise as their uncle tucked them in bed.

"Oh?" asked the elder ghost, amusement in his voice. "Why do you say that, Ell'uise?"

"Because he deserved a second chance."

Stunned by the child's answer, Zs'Skayr took a moment to collect himself. "Yes, I guess you're right," he said, but saw that they had fallen asleep. Smiling again, he gently rubbed their heads and floated out to his throne room again, sitting back down in his chair.

"She's right, you know," said a voice suddenly, making the poor Ectonurite jump in alarm and bring out his scythe, only to see Ben Tennyson standing there before him in his human form. He didn't reach for the Omnitrix, something that surprised Zs'Skayr who had expected the boy to change into an alien.

"What do you mean, boy?" he hissed, angry that Ben had found his way in.

"Kevin deserved a second chance," said Ben. "Everyone does."

Though stunned by the words, the Ectonurite held his scythe ready to use and Ben noticed. "Chill, Zs'Skayr. I'm not here to fight," he said. "Not after what I saw."

That made Zs'Skayr stop dead in his tracks and he looked startled for a moment. "No," he said, his voice taking on a pleading note. "Don't let them take away the girls."

Ben was shocked that Zs'Skayr was pleading for the girls and right then and there, he made up his mind.

"Those girls mean everything to you," he said. "Your sister died and asked you to raise them." He pointed to a picture of a younger Ectonurite woman with long red hair. Ben continued. "They remind you of her and your promise to take care of them."

Zs'Skayr was a bit surprised that Ben figured it out so fast and turned to him. "Do the Plumbers know?" he asked, a fearful note making his voice sound very scared.

Ben shook his head. "No, they don't and they won't either," said Ben. "I won't take away your second chance."

Zs'Skayr looked surprised again. "You are wise, Ben Tennyson," he said. "Wiser than you were six years ago."

Ben nodded. "Being a guardian has helped me see things differently," he admitted. "And had I known you guys were real in my watch, I would have let you out long ago."

The Ectonurite looked at Ben. "You didn't know," he said, a little dismissively.

"I should have."

Both human and alien were quiet and then Ben realized something. In order to fully understand and put it behind him, he had to forgive Zs'Skayr. Yes, he had been an evil ghost alien and had tried to hurt Ben many times, but after today, Ben was convinced that all aliens had a good side and therefore said something that changed Zs'Skayr forever.

"I forgive you."

The ghost snapped his head up to the boy who smiled back at him. "Everyone deserves a second chance," said Ben. "Even ghostly aliens."

Zs'Skayr felt different as he felt some of the weight of his guilt leave him and he looked at Ben.

"I forgive you too, Ben Tennyson."

Ben felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders, just like Zs'Skayr had felt and Ben headed for the door.

"Don't' worry, Zs'Skayr," he said. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Good, thank you," he said, a little distracted when he heard the girls behind him, no doubt having been awoken by the commotion.

With Ben's help, the Ectonurite finally got the girls to settle down again and go to sleep. He then turned to Ben, who was smiling.

"Uncle Ben," he now said, trying to get used to it. The girls had taken to calling him that and now he supposed he wasn't getting out of it.

Zs'Skayr chuckled. "They adore you," he admitted as he and Ben walked to the door of the castle and the ghost opened the drawbridge, floating beside Ben as the two walked in peaceful silence to the Proto-Truk, where Rook was watching.

"Thank you, brother," said Ben, happy that Zs'Skayr didn't shish kabob him.

The Ectonurite shook his head. "No, thank you, my brother," he said and did something very out of character.

He hugged Ben, who returned the hug with Rook watching and smiling at them.

After a moment, Zs'Skayr let Ben go. "I must get back inside," he said. "Ben, please come and visit when you want to and bring your partner with you. I know my little nieces would be thrilled."

After glancing at Rook, who nodded, Ben answered. "Sure," he said and got into the truck and Rook drove away, watching as Zs'Skayr waved goodbye before going back into the castle.

"What was that about?" asked Rook curiously.

Ben smiled. "I was just seeing my enemy in a new light," he said as they continued on their patrol before going back to Headquarters.

Meanwhile, Zs'Skayr looked up to the stars and then looked at his sister's picture of her, him, and the girls. "You were right, sister," he said. "Those two are my reason to live."

He smiled again. "Ben has forgiven me and I forgave him. Now, I forgive myself," said the ghost, who felt better and felt like living than he had in a long time.

"We all need forgiveness and second chances," he said to himself, somehow knowing that Ben was thinking the same thing.

Once enemies, now a family of friends.

Just a little idea that Sindrak asked me to do after watching the Ben 10 Omniverse episode "Charmed, I'm Sure".

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