I have returned! With a vengeance! Just kidding. Lol I'm sure I've lost many of you, my loyal readers, and I feel terrible for not updating in so long so now I'm officially ending the so-called hiatus for you, my precious, precious readers. I have rediscovered my inspiration after a few Tivo-ed episodes of Ben 10: AF, especially loving the Anti-Ben one. (I forget the alien's name so I've been calling him Anti-Ben for a week now.) That one made me literally roll off my bed in laughter. Did anyone else notice that the alien, after he was changed to different colors, looked kinda like Dante from Devil May Cry? Well, anywayz, you guys probably want me to get on with the chapter, so by all means, go ahead, but I have to share a fun fact I found about blood and snow at the end, so stay tuned!

(Finally) Chapter 11

Thunk. Thunk.

Can't be that one, to thin.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

So close, but wrong color, let alone title.

"Need help?" Kevin asked. He was currently laying on Gwen's bed, hands behind his head in a very relaxed position.

"You don't know what to look for. Besides, I'm starting to think it's not here." Gwen replied, allowing another book to fall into the pile slowly forming at her feet, giving a sigh to relieve some of the stress.

"Where would it go? You sure you don't need help?"

"I'm positive," She paused as a thought occurred to her. "Oh, wait. Sometimes my dad borrows my books. I'll be right back." She left the room quickly, her light footsteps fading. Kevin shook his head and looked to his unresponsive friend, only in that state due to the fact he was pouting. Of course, he wouldn't have called it that, but that's exactly was it was. He continued to stare off into the corner, allowing this to happen with a few reservations. If he was able to shoot lasers from his eyes right now, there would probably no longer be a wall there, judging from the intensity.

"Why's this bug you so much, Tennyson?" The glare focused on him and Kevin wasn't fazed at all.

"… I'm tied to a chair and you're asking me why I'm mad?" His tone mimicked his features exactly. For emphasis he yanked on a rope holding his wrist.

"It's going to help. Eventually." Kevin wanted to ask him if he was aware of his lower lip jutting out, but bit his tongue knowing Ben would probably just end up more infuriated. God knew every time he got pissed off something bad happened.

"Yeah, I know." At least he made an attempt to calm himself. He began taking slow breaths, because he didn't want another black out, ropes or no. After feeling a little better, he looked at Kevin again. "I've been meaning to ask, why do you seem so unconcerned about all… this?"

"Have I ever been one to actually freak about something?" Kevin replied, his gaze stuck thoughtfully to the ceiling.

"Your car." After receiving a scowl, he gave a more serious answer. "Well, this is definitely out of our norm."

"How does it help if were both acting worried then? Me 'n Gwen. I mean, she's worried enough and would it really make you feel better if I was too?" Kevin looked to him neutrally, waiting for some uncharacteristic remark.

"Well… No, it wouldn't, I guess." Ben looked down at the ground curiously, wondering how Kevin was so insightful towards personal situations while his people skills rather lacked. Unless, of course, that was a life choice. He did have a point though. Kevin was giving him a sense of stability by acting as though this was normal, rather than panicking or yelling as most people would do. Still, no matter how kind it was, it was strange.

From downstairs, they could hear the beginnings of an argument. Obviously Gwen and her father. A rather heated one too by the way their voices rose every few seconds. Ben tried to tune them out so he wouldn't have to dread being the recipient of Gwen's bad mood.

"Fear…" The whispered growl made Ben shiver in surprise. He looked all around the room, but nothing jumped out at him as the source of the noise besides Kevin. But Kevin wasn't able to do a voice of this eerie caliber. He did, however seem to notice the sudden change in facial expressions.

"What's up?" He asked, sitting upright and staring at him.

"I think I'd like to get this started soon." Ben said, his face a mixture of worry and depression. Before Kevin could have a chance to ask what was wrong, Gwen walked back in as though nothing had happened. Though Kevin remained wary about him, he turned to Gwen.

"Is that the book?" She turned to him with a calm smile, holding it out so he could see. "Does that title say Manna in it?"

"Yes. That's why I had high hopes for this. This was the last present Grandma Verdona left before she went back to Anodite. I found it on my bed after she left." Gwen replied, flipping through the pages. "I know a saw a good spell that might be able to help us right… here." She poked the page with her finger.

"Why did you tell us about this in the first place?" Ben gave her an annoyed look from the chair, obviously recovered from the sudden momentary intrusion of his mind. Gwen gave him a rather sheepish look.

"Well, at first, knowing you, I thought you were going to be jealous Grandma left me something."

"I have bigger things to worry about at the moment!" Ben retaliated, shifting violently in the chair as though to stand, but the ropes held there purpose in keeping him sitting.

"Calm down." Kevin warned. Ben took the hint immediately and let his head fall against his chest in an almost meditative pose.

"There's that and I wasn't sure how it was going to react with a DNA bonding. I'm still learning after all." Gwen said in an apologetic tone, going back to skimming until she came upon the page she was looking for.

"So why did you have me tie him up again?" Kevin asked as Gwen moved to stand in front of Ben.

"A just incase if you've seen most horror movies." A whirring sound suddenly eminatted from the floor as it began to gently vibrate. "Don't worry, that's just the garage door. My parents are leaving to get some groceries. You ready Ben?"

"Ready in what sense?" He replied in a somewhat sarcastic tone. It wasn't meant to be mean, but said more in a pitiable sense. Kevin sat cross-legged on the bed, watching attentively as he was instructed in case the alien came soaring out, battle ready.

She glanced at the book and moved it to be held in one hand as the other reached out and lightly rested Ben's forehead. Began a fluent chant that they could only assume to written in the Anodite language. It was almost hypnotizing, but what Ben found disturbing was that nothing was happening and they looked like idiots. He closed his eyes and willed something to happen, anything to rid him of the monster, but nothing came.

He made to speak about how this had probably failed them too, when a sudden surge of power coursed within him. He wanted to cry out, to scream, but he was pulled back into darkness before his voice found him, the icy tendrils pulling him into the very depths of his mind.

He knew where he was by the immensely thick feeling of the place, the almost suffocating feel, but this time, a transparent figure floated before him. He flew back away from the unknown figure. It definitely wasn't Ghostfreak that hovered before him as the phantom didn't have a humanoid form.

The figure's head was down, as though staring at the ground. Ben's natural curiosity would've gotten the better of him if he hadn't felt all the warning signs of danger around him. Who was the figure that stood before him? It was it slowly raised it's head that he had the urge to scream again. The figure before him was a mirror image of himself. Not even a mirror, it was him, but wasn't all the same.

The transparent form bore his features, only, his face was extremely different, frightening. It was deathly pale and boasted fully black eyes save for the purple irises. Black lines ran in jags down it's face and, as it grinned at him, it showed sharpened teeth. This creature before him was him, but held all the signs of Ghostfreak. He desperately wanted to destroy the being before him but his fear held him away, forcing him into an inner battle that he was slowly losing and pushing him further into a sense of utter horror. But, when it spoke, every single fear he held was realized.

"This is what we've become. This is fusion at its highest and you, dear Ben Tennyson, have outgrown your usefulness. I thank you for your human curiosity that has brought me back into this world, but it is now my time to show this wretched world exactly what I-I mean we, think." The figure laughed, using his voice, but with a harsher colder tone. But then, he realized, he had begun laughing too. It was uncontrolled, unprovoked, sinister laughter that rang out from within him. He lost himself in it and began to sink into the darkness, the tendrils slowly pulling him under.

He sobered immediately and began to panic, grasping at whatever solid blackness he could find, only, there was none. He raised a hand at the shaking form the now floated above him. The phantom looked down, grinning menacingly as it reached out a hand. It was only to taunt him however as Ben couldn't manage to grasp it. He sank lower and lower until finally, the darkness overtook him for the last time.

"Ben! Ben!! Come on speak to me!" Gwen cried, kneeling in front of him. She had a hand on his cheek and she desperately shouted into his face.

"Come on, man, don't joke like this!" Kevin shook his shoulder but still, they received no response. Halfway into the ritual, Ben had gone rigid before screaming his lungs out, startling them both. After that, it had appeared that he had fainted, but it was seeming less and less so as he remained unresponsive.

"Please, Ben!!" Gwen couldn't help the hot tears that began to run down her cheeks. Thoughts circulated her mind that she had killed her cousin. All his vitals were gone. He wasn't breathing, his heart wasn't beating, he had become deathly cold, and his skin had faded into a grayish-pale. All the signs of a cadaver.

It was all her fault, she shouldn't have done the ritual. She should've studied and practiced more, then maybe…

She threw herself onto Kevin, burying her sobs and tears in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in a protective and comforting way, still in a state of disbelief. Ben couldn't be killed. He had proven that on too many occasions to count that he could cheat death at every turn. Not like this. There was just no chance in hell. He just couldn't be…

Suddenly, they heard a loud intake of breath. They both quickly turned towards it and saw Ben, in a somewhat upright position, breathing heavily as though in pain. His face was looking at his lap as his breathing began to calm.

"Oh, Ben!" Gwen cried, making to hug her cousin only to be held back by Kevin. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. Something that raised flags within his mind as he stared at his friend. The signals were recognized as Ben began to laugh. Quietly at first but it slowly crescendo-ed until he was looking up at them, a grin that wasn't his held on his features.

Everything that once made him Ben was now gone. Everything that was Ghostfreak had become him, all the way to the deepest violet and black that had become his eyes, to his teeth that had become dangerously sharp.

"I must thank you, Gwendolyn. That Anodite releasing ritual worked perfectly." Though it spoke in Ben's voice, they knew it was Him. Malevolence an outspoken tone.

"Ghostfreak…" Gwen whispered, disbelief riddling her tone. The monster looked at her curiously, calculatingly.

"I'd much prefer if you used my real name, Zs'Skayr. It's much more becoming of a ruler."

"What could you possibly rule?" Kevin asked defiantly. He couldn't suppress the shiver that racked his spine at the way the creature twisted his friend's features so coldly.

"Anur Phaetos. And, soon, planet Earth." The phantom began to pull upward, against the ropes that bound him until a loud snap was heard and the ropes fell, coiling on the floor. He stood, examining his new body with a satisfied smile, his eyes resting upon the technology he had so longed for wrapped around his wrist.

"You'll have to go through me first." Kevin said, stepping in front of the door. Gwen still had not recovered, leaning against the bed in impending shock.

"Don't mock me, human."With a flick of the wrist, Kevin was sent sailing into the wall to his right, hard enough to crack it, before sliding down, dazed. Zs'Skayr's exit, however had not been the door. He leapt toward it before, gracefully jumping through it. He plummeted a few seconds before a purple flash lit up the night and he was gone.

Kevin rose and rushed to Gwen's side, finding her staring blankly at the wall opposite her, legs pulled up to her chest.

"Now is not the time to sit around." Kevin said quietly, offering her a hand. She didn't remove her gaze from the wall, ignoring the offered hand.

"I've unleashed a monster…" She said monotonously, her eyes finding the ground. Kevin knelt by her.

"Don't even say that. Ben's still in there. He's got to be." Gwen looked at him, tears streaming from her eyes.

"I couldn't help him, Kevin. The ritual didn't work, it made things worse and now, there may be no way to save him…" A sob escaped her lips as she buried her face in her hands. She felt an arm wrap around her, pulling her close.

"Ben doesn't go down so easily, he never has. What would he think about you giving up on him?" Gwen looked at him, anger in her eyes.

"I've killed him, Kevin! And now that damned ghost has him!"

"Don't say that! We can still save him!" Kevin fired back, waiting for her to snap back into her senses.

"How?! There's no time to do anything! He going to destroy the city and-!" She looked as though she had just thought of something as she rose and picked up the dropped book. She skimmed until she found what she was looked for.

"I only finished half the ritual! It was a release then expel!" Kevin stood next to her, looked at the book.

"Great, so we find him, finish the ritual and live happily ever after."

"It's not that easy. We're going to have to find him and then hold him still long enough to get rid of Ghost- Zs'Skayr." Gwen corrected, oddly finding the name befitting such an evil alien. They wanted to think that that wouldn't be so hard, but with Zs'Skayr in control of the Omnitrix, and with powers of his own, there was an ominous sensation that the worst had yet to come.

There, that wasn't so bad for a re-entry chapter, right? I hope it captured the drama and didn't seem too awful an idea. I leave you to decide. Anyway, my last interesting my friend discovered. It's called blood candy. When you spill blood on snow and let it harden, it bcomes about the density of a hard candy only made entirely of blood. Before you freak out, he only discovered this after his brother and he went deer hunting and some of the blood fell in the snow. It was a bet to get him to try some. There, my last fun fact of the day. Goodnight and see you all next time!