"...Zs'Skayr! Zs'Skayr come here!" The haunting voice of a young ectonurite girl echoed through my memories. "Oh come on, Zs'Skayr, we don't have much time!"

The girl was levitating in the middle of a kitchen, digging through cabinet after cabinet as if she was searching for something extremely specific. I was standing at the doorway, watching with a wide eye as my older sister's took apart our castle's kitchen.

My precious sister...Fr'hyta.

"...Sister, we shouldn't be doing this!" my younger self had said, trying to keep my voice steady and commanding like. "Mother and Father had ordered us to study for our test coming up!"

She continued to have her back towards me, moving at the speed of light as she grabbed a jar of pure white powder. Her bright pink eye glowed with interest, her mind moving a mile a minute...

"Fr'hyta, are you even listening to me!? We need to get out now!"

"Is your second skin really that tight on you, Little Skayr?" Fr'hyta said, only now paying attention to me, as she poured the powder into a steel bucket. "This was your idea, was it not?"

"I was only joking on pranking the servants!" I exclaimed, my frustration at its boiling point. "Seriously, Fr'hyta, can you not see how much trouble we will get in to when it's all said and done?"

"You mean when I get in trouble when it's all said and done. You could lie your way through anything, if you wanted to. You're good at that sort of thing."

Taking the bucket to the sink, she began to fill it up with ecto-water. Ecto-water that we had limited supplies of!

However, the moment she said that only she would get in trouble caused me to shut up entirely, my anger fading. After she filled up the bucket with enough ecto-water, Fr'hyta flew up to me and smiled underneath her second skin.

"Even if they believed you were a part of this, Mother and Father will know that I put you up to it. Cute, little, obedient Zs'Skayr could never be capable of such a thing."

She handed me the bucket and told me to stand back inside the kitchen while she prepared the trap. Fr'hyta moved the door to where it would stay at a certain angle, using her artistic eye to make sure every little piece was in place for the prank. I watched her in awe, admiring her confidence and skill in the work she was doing.

My sister was always so determined and could do anything she set her mind to. Unlike me, at the time, who was so submissive and quiet that it was hard to believe that I was the son of a powerful High Ecto-Lord.

"Okay, Little Skayr," Fr'hyta said when she knew everything was perfect, "I'll let you have the honors or placing the bucket into place."

Without hesitation, I flew up to my sister's side, she gradually moving behind me.

"Now set it to where you will think it do the most damage, like you said before," Fr'hyta said with a childish glee. "We want to make sure the servant who come through here to be soaked in white, goopy ecto-water!"

I said nothing in reply, carefully examining my options. I was still against the idea of this prank, even though I partly wanted it. It was dull, here in the castle, so limited and constraining. But I would never have the courage to do this on my own, not without my elder sister's push... I could never do anything on my own.

"...Is here good?"

I placed the bucket in between the door and the wall, knowing full well that whoever opens the door will have a bucket right on top of their head. Fr'hyta laughed.

"He he! This is perfect, Little Skayr! You're such a brilliant planner!"

I couldn't help but smile at her compliment, my sister grabbing my hand as we glided our way out of the kitchen through the opposite door. We flew through the castle as quick as we could, not stopping till we were back in the safety of our part of the castle, our private hallway. I panted heavily, Fr'hyta's speed being too much for me. We then entered our study room, the place where we were supposed to be before we unleashed my prank.

"Now was that so bad?" Fr'hyta asked, closing the door behind her. "In a few minutes, we shall hear the cries of our poor victim! And finally Mother and Father will have to pay attention to us!"

I gave off a small chuckle, pleased that something that I came up with was actually going to work. It was all my idea, I was going to have the power and satisfaction that a High Ecto-Lord would when he plotted against his enemies!

Foolishly, did I find that such an accomplishment.

"And now I know for a fact that you actually can have fun, for once in your life!"

Fr'hyta made me look at her in the eye, having one of her rare serious moments.

"You really need to stop pushing yourself to be like our parents, Little Skayr," she said softly. "You're not High Ecto-Lord yet and won't be for years to come. You still got time to be a kid and enjoy life!"

I hesitated in a reply.

"...And what if I am enjoying it by being prepared for my destiny?" I questioned, any happiness I felt a second ago completely gone from my voice. "Father says that we have the future of the ectonurites in our hands, especially with all the tension between us and the transylians. And-"

"And you don't think that our parents were given that same speech when they were our age, by their narcissistic parents?"

Fr'hyta let out a heavy sigh.

"Look, you need to learn not to look at life as if it was something for you to conquer, where you are emotionally detached from everything. Stop being so negative and be happy for once! Besides..."

She took me into her arms and held me in a tight, warm embrace. I blinked, surprised by this action of hers, but yet I did not fight it.

"If you get any grumpier you will get such a scary look in your eye like father has!" Fr'hyta exclaimed in a girlish squeal. "You are too cute for that, my adorable little brother! For my sake, I want you to stay as innocent as you are for as long as possible, okay?"

Cute, innocent.

What she really meant was for me to stay naive and sheltered from reality, for me to always be influenced by her. Fr'hyta was a fool for thinking that life was one big game to control without effort, where everything will turn out good in the end. She and I did not know the real world, the hatred that was put upon us that our parents refused to let us see as children. A reality that I could accept as I took my parents' place as High Ecto-Lord, while Fr'hyta did what she was the best at...

Avoiding what she did not like.

"...Fr'hyta..."

I could not remember the last time I had truly dreamed like that. When I was in the Omnitrix, I had no consciousness, just me being surrounded by endless, empty darkness. And the few times I did sleep here on Earth was when I was too tired to produce dreams, nor did I have anything to dream about. But now I have links to my past again, memories so melancholy that I had tried to block them out.

"...Fr'hyta..."

It being too tortuous to see her face, I opened my eye to wake myself up. The medical bay was silent with its gentle violet light, Viktor being nowhere in sight. I was all alone.

I glanced down at my at my hand, the one I had burnt when I first tried to reach for Ben, seeing that that the scars left on it were treated. They were hardly visible, but their mark still remained, ever so faint.

"...whether my old master is here or not is out of the question. We're still here for the corrodium and that is our priority."

That was...Viktor's voice.

Corrodium? What could he be talking about...

Feeling like I have rested enough, I got up and followed the sound of Viktor's voice. Leaving the medical bay, heading down a narrowed hallway till I reached the end of it. It lead to the control room of the ship, Viktor and the khufan seemingly in a deep conversation. Curious to see what they were talking about, I decided to stay in the shadows and listen to them carefully.

After all, I still knew little to nothing about them, despite the fact they had helped me.

The khufan, Tutankha, I believe its name was, cocked its head to side, its back towards me. It spoke in its native language, however its voice was so muffled I couldn't quite understand what it was saying.

"He will not distract me from our mission, I can assure you," Viktor replied, a tone of anger in his voice. "And know your place, Tutankha. Unlike me, Master Zs'Skayr won't be as forgiving."

Tutankha only growled in reply, clearly displeased. But, like a good minion, it knew when to step down. Viktor's tensed muscles relaxed as he let out a heavy sigh.

"Go ahead and get back to your post with Beōruf and see if you can track down any corrodium energy waves from Earth's satellites. Once Master Zs'Skayr is awake, I will update you on our next phase."

With that said, Tutankha headed towards the doorway, but not before muttering to itself that I caught perfectly as it walked right through me.

"You blind fool. Your loyalty to the ectonurite will doom us."

Once it had disappeared down the hallway, Viktor let out another heavy sigh and turned towards the main computer.

"...Master Zs'Skayr... I promise you, no matter what the cost, I will stay by your side."

His voice was soft and low, a perfect display of weakness and emotion. How...

Pathetic.

"...What a loyal dog you seem to be. To even argue with your own minions on my behalf."

I allowed myself to become visible, and at the sound of my voice, Viktor jumped, quickly facing me.

"M-master Zs'Skayr!" he exclaimed. "How long have you...?"

I let out a soft chuckle.

"That does not matter. What does, however, was that corrodium you mentioned. Is that the reason you came here?"

Viktor blinked, taking a moment to reply, to my amusement.

"...Yes. My mission was to retrieve rumored corrodium that came to Earth by multiple asteroids millions of years ago. It is a source of power for the Anur System, and we are overusing that resource more than ever. The system desperately needs more supplies of it, and by using this space station, we are hoping to find out where some of its locations are."

"...I see..."

I paused my words, my mind turning as I recalled how powerful and valuable corrodium was to the Anur System. It was a very radioactive mineral, capable of mutating any specimen of animal not from the Anur System. My species, along with Viktor's and his minions', where naturally immune to it, meaning that we use it as a source of power and light. Corrodium can produce a powerful soft light, and perhaps used with the right technology, that energy could be transferred into a shield to block out anything as powerful as sunlight. To block out the sun...yes...

"Master Zs'Skayr, what are you thinking? Master?"

I was so lost in thought that I had forgotten for a second that Viktor was still in the room. I met his gaze, as small smile coming across my face.

"...Viktor, I have a new order for you in my plans to conquer Earth," I said in a commanding voice. "With our control over NASA, I want you to gather enough corrodium to produce a force field to block out the sun's rays. With the sun gone, it will make it easier for me to regain the Omnitrix and my full power."

Viktor made no immediate reaction to my orders, only staring at me intensely.

"...You are fully aware that all life on this planet will mutate if I do that," he replied, though it sounded more like a warning. "You seem to be very fond of this planet, and with a corrodium beam that powerful it may change that."

I narrowed my eye.

"What makes you think that I care for this planet, other than to have it under my power?"

There was a short silence.

"...You spoke in your sleep as I tended to your wound," he finally said. "You would often mutter about the freedom you have experienced here and such. And the fact you lashed out when I talked about taking you home only confirmed that as such."

I blinked a couple of times, a cold feeling running through my veins. Viktor gave a gentle smile.

"It is all right, master. I was the only one in the medical bay the entire time. My minions did not see you and I made sure they didn't."

I hissed, my heart beat growing faster.

"The corruption does not matter to me," I snapped at him, "so long as I gain the power I seek! Understand?"

I brought out my claws for extra emphasis, but once again, Viktor did not flinch.

"...Yes, my master," he finally said. "I will see to it and I'll inform you on what I find. In the meantime, I request that you continue to rest on the ship."

He approached me.

"Is there anything else you would need before I take my leave, Master Zs'Skayr?"

I was silent for a long moment.

Why...why are you so devoted to me?!

"...No, I do not need anything," I finally answered, my voice cracking. "Report back as soon as you can."

Viktor gave a respectful nod. "Yes, master."

And with that said, he left the room, leaving me all alone.