Author's Note: This chapter will serve as a reminder for what happened in the previous chapters and a guide for the aliens that Rook unlocked in the last chapter.


Rook unlocked his third set of aliens in the previous chapter. Here they are.

Share-Oh

Y'know, the mummy alien. Has wrapping powers.

Blitzwolfer

Wolf boi. Enhanced strength and speed, plus a powerful sonic howl. In this fic, Loboans on Anur Transyl and ones from Luna Lobo are a bit different, and there are some Loboans on Anur Transyl more closely related to the Lunan ones. Blitzwolfer is a full Planetary one, which means he is physically stronger and has a more powerful howl but can't run as long in comparison to most Loboans.

Ghostfreak

Ghostfreak functions for Rook the same as he does for Ben. He does not look like Zs'Skayr does. In this fic, I am explaining that as Ectonurites are born with a protective skin that they shed as they age, so Ghostfreak is just a younger Zs'Skayr. I explain that theory more in a supplementary post linked on the series page on Ao3.

Whampire

I'm not quite sure how Rook got this form but assume something happened during the time skip or the Omnitrix was able to scan the dormant Vladat guy.

Frankenstrike

Like in canon, Frankenstike is a heavy hitter with limited electric powers.

Pumpkin Head

Remember the mutant pumpkins outside the castle? Yeah, the Omnitrix scanned those guys. Note that the pumpkins only became jack-o-lanterns when Ben tried lighting them on fire. When Pumpkin Head first appears, he won't have any fire.

Brain Drain

Brain Drain Tom Perkins alien designed for the Anur System. I believe they play a role in 5YL, though I haven't read the comic yet. They're essentially energy draining zombies.

Night Mare

In the Omniverse episode where the women in Ben's life competed for him, there was a race on Anur Transyl and Ester found a spectral horse. They are listed as Night Mare on the wiki so I'm giving Rook one. Their powers include phasing through objects plus normal horse stuff.

L'Goon

Another Tom Perkins alien. L'Goon is a fishlike water-based lifeform from Anur Millgan. His powers include the ability to control and shape water.

Skele-TON

Another Tom Perkins alien. Skele-TON is from Anur G'rrnay and resembles a human skeleton surrounded by a slimy fluid. He is able to control the molecular density of himself and the people and objects around him.


I understand that the timescale can be a bit hard to follow and it's easy to forget what happened in longer fics so here's a timeline to summarize what has already happened. The part in bold is formatted as "year of the events | title of the part of the story during that time | (corresponding part of the Ben 10 series)" followed by a list of significant events.

Year 0 | Mutability & Heroes Never Rest | (Original Series):

-Harvest season begins.

-Blonko discovers the Omnitrix.

-Shar and Wat-Sen learn of the Omnitrix, helpingBlonko train with it.

-Blonko encounters a few bounty hunters. Tetrax decides to quit being a bounty hunter and help train Blonko.

-Blonko meets Xylene and Bahrvad.

-Blonko sends Sevenseven and Eighteight to the Null Void. Tetrax and Wat-Sen send Kraab and Sixsix to the Null Void.

-The harvest season ends. The village is attacked by Vilgax. Blonko is outed as a shapeshifter. Blonko is captured then saved by Wat-Sen, Shar, Tetrax, and his father. Vilgax is sent to the Null Void.

-Blonko returns home but is rejected by his village. Tetrax takes him to the Plumber Academy where he meets Scout and begins calling himself Rook.

-At the Plumber Academy, Bahrvad tells Blonko how he became a Plumber thirty years ago.

Year 1 | I May Be A Monster But You're Dr. Frankenstein | I See Your Terror:

-During a semester break, Bahrvad and Xylene take Scout and Rook to Galvan Prime

Rook and Scout attempt to talk to Azmuth but are pawned off onto Albedo

-Scout and Rook meet a Galvanic Mehamorph envoy asking for help. Albedo tells them to ignore it but the envoy leads them to a crashed ship where they find Bahrvad's friend Baz-I

-Scout and Rook take Baz-I to Azmuth's lab for help, realizing something is wrong with them. Rook fights with Azmuth and Scout realizes the injustices against Galvanic Mechamorphs on Galvan Prime. They take in the envoy, calling him Ship.

-Rook battles Malware and wins.

-Rook and Scout are hailed as heroes. Albedo recognizes that this is wrong.

-Scout and Albedo form a friendship, Rook learns Malware sees him as a brother, and Azmuth unlocks ten new aliens in the Omnitrix.

-Baz-I is revived and Ship is permeantly put in Scout and Rook's care

-Rook and Scout return to the Academy

-Rook masters the forms of his new aliens but struggles to master Terrorsaur, leading to a flock of Phantaisans sensing his distress and attacking the base. Rook loses control of this form and joins them.

-Scout, with the help of Rook's roommate and his friends, assist Bahrvad during the attack and freeing Rook.

Year 2:

-You do not know what happened during this time yet. Assume that Rook and Scout continue their studies.

Year 3 | High Tide At Home | Hiraeth:

-Rook and Scout pass their final exams. They visit Revonnah in hopes of training under Wat-Sen, only to learn he is training Shar. They compromise, splitting their training between Wat-Sen, Xylene, and Bahrvad.

-Rook visits his family for the first time since leaving. There is some tension.

Scout begins a friendship with Rayona but is confused by her relationship with Rook.

-Kundo attempts to kill Scout in front of Ship and Young One. Kundo is arrested.

-While defending a village from muroids, Scout, Rook, and Shar learn that Sixsix, Sevenseven, Eighteight, and Kraab are controlling the muroids.

-The Plumbers assist a nearby village with repairs. Scout speaks to the family Rayona will marry into and decides to stay out of it.

-Muroids attack Rook's village. Rook and Scout flee with Ship when Bahrvad and Xylene realize Vilgax may be out of the Null Void in addition to the bounty hunters.

Scout brings Rook and Ship to Anur Transyl where Rook's Omnitrix locks up as it tries scanning new life forms. It turns him into Ghostfreak, a DNA sample already in the Omnitrix who looks startlingly like Zs'Skayr.

-Scout, along with his pack leader, brings Rook and Ship to a local scientist who opens up the Omnitrix's matinence panel so Scout and Ship can look around inside. They find Zs'Skayr attempting to hijack the Omnitrix and force him out.

Year 4 | (Alien Force begins):

-You do not know what happened during this time yet. Assume that Rook and Scout get used to life on Anur Transyl, Rook masters the new forms, and that the people of Anur Transyl somewhat accept him. Some of his adventures on Anur Transyl will be alluded to throughout the rest of the story.

Year 5 | Dissonant Strings (Omniverse begins):

-Beginning of Dissonant Strings, where we start off.


Author's Note: Updates will resume regularly for the next five chapters or the entirety of part 4 of this fic. I started writing part 4 on August 27th 2021 and I finished it on May 1st 2022, minus editing. That's about seven months. I started writing Mutability on April 18th 2021 and finished editing Hiraeth on September 12th 2021. That's about 5 months. Part 4 is less than 25K words. The previous parts together were over 120K. So yeah, this was rough to write but I'm glad to finally get it to you guys.

I'm getting surgery in July 2022 and will not be able to use my arms for some time after that and therefore will not be able to write for awhile. I'm not going to start the rest of the fic after these upcoming five chapters until after that so apologies in advance for the wait.

Edit 5/23/2022: Someone pointed out that there were enough Tom Perkins aliens to make a full set of 10 so I have removed the filler ones. On ao3, the series page will have a link to a tumblr post with the removed aliens if you're interested in them. I may make the Anur Spider a locked one.