Disclaimer: I don't own Ben 10.

So...Gwen is finally inside Ben's head...or is she? Do people normally have beaches inside their brains? Read to find out!

Chapter 4 – The Sands of Euphoria

Warm, soft sand were under her feet, tickling her toes. She dug her feet inside the ground, feeling the texture against her skin.

The sun was setting in the distance, a golden orb of brilliance, magnificent in the seas of crimson. It sat on the horizon, peeping towards the shore, releasing the last of its glow and heat for the day.

The sky was clear, cloudless and vibrant, dappled with lilacs and magentas and cherries and yellows. The warm colours of the heavens contrasted greatly with the midnight blue of the ocean, the waters that swayed to gentle winds that carry the aroma of freshly made pancakes.

Wait.

Pancakes?

Gwen turned to the direction of which the pleasant smell was coming from, and to her utmost surprise she saw something that was entirely out of place – a rusty, ancient RV.

"Grandpa?" The girl wondered aloud, just too sure who the vehicle belonged to. She raced towards the Rustbucket, with a little difficulty for the sand was slipping away from her feet, but halted in her tracks in front of the door.

Wait a minute, she reminded herself, I'm here to save Ben, not fooling around. Although I have no idea why I'm here the first place…unless this IS the inside of Ben's head…the seaside.

If the whole of her cousin's mind was just the beach and Grandpa's RV, she really couldn't decide if she'd like to go inside her own head if she had the chance.

Nevertheless she tried to peep into her grandfather's mobile home through the windows, looking for clues. To her disappointment the curtains were drawn, but fortunately she heard voices, which meant there were people in there. Maybe of Max was really here, then he'd be able to tell her how to get Ben to wake up.

With a bang that made Gwen jump out of her skin, the door of the Rustbucket slammed open and a child leapt out, yelling nothing in particular in his excitement. His toxic green eyes flashed with thrill and joy as his brown hair danced against the wind while he ran towards the sea.

"Ben?" In her amazement Gwen's voice was suddenly an octave higher. She made an attempt to grab for her cousin, but a shrill cry from behind distracted her, causing her to momentarily glance at her back.

There was a little girl with flaming red hair tied in pigtails, brandishing the bucket and spade in her hand and screaming in delight. She jumped from the RV and onto the sandy ground, only hesitating to give a radiant smile that matched her emerald green eyes at whoever was in the Rustbucket before dashing off with the boy.

The girl ran past Gwen as if she wasn't there at all, and suddenly the ten year old understood why everything seemed so familiar.

This beach, with this sunset, with Grandpa's RV and all – she was here before.

Gwen gazed at the little brunette now splashing water at the girl and wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. She was right, the boy was Ben; the same coloured hair, the same green eyes, and the all too typical cheeriness and laughs. The only difference between the cousin she knew and the one in front of her was an age difference of six years. The child was shorter, chubbier, and much more carefree.

And the girl in pigtails, she was the younger version of Gwen herself. It was weird alright to see her childhood play like a movie in front of her eyes, but she was enchanted in the magic of it all. It had been a while since she screamed her lungs out and not feel embarrassed afterwards, but it had been even longer time that she had cried out due to her bliss and joyfulness.

When was the last time she actually laughed because she was truly happy, and not because of a joke that she heard or a prank that she had played a prank effectively on Ben? When was the last time she didn't have to worry about not getting 'A's in her schoolwork, and could enjoy herself as freely as she could? Or, she asked herself, when was the most recent occasion in which she didn't bring a book to the beach?

"I suppose if I'm in Ben's head right now, then I'm looking at his memories," Gwen said quietly, staring longingly at the two four year old children, splashing in the waves. She smiled without realizing it. "One of his happiest ones."

Gwen remembered this recollection as if it were yesterday. It was her fourth birthday (Ben's too, naturally), and Grandpa had volunteered to bring her and Ben to the beach. As far as she could recall, they had the best time of their lives, and yes, her grandfather had changed his habits for the day just for the two cousins and made pancakes instead.

"You know what Grandpa gave me?" Gwen eyes fell on Ben as he shouted over the sound of the waves crashing towards the shore to his cousin.

"Let me guess!" The little girl yelled gleefully as she managed to tackle her cousin and knocked him underwater, where he emerged a second later, still laughing. "Sumo Slammers cards?"

"Ya got it!" Ben wiped away the stinging sea water from his eyes and grinned broadly. "What about you? What did Grandpa give you?"

"A Barbie doll," the girl replied, putting strands of her wet hair out of her face. "It's okay nice, but Grandpa should know that dolls are only for little kids."

Ben made a face. "You're a little kid!"

"I might be only four, but mentally I'm all grown up, unlike somebody I know!"

At this Gwen had to swallow a laugh as she watched herself bickering with the little dweeb. Seriously, the two of them have been fighting before the learned to talk, but it warmed her to know that there was no hurtful intention behind their words. It was all part of their bond in being twin cousins.

"Hey, Gwen, check this out!"

At the call of their name both girls automatically turned their heads to look at Ben, whose face was shimmering in excitement as he dived underwater as if finding a treasure on the ocean floor. The younger girl cocked her head, eyes bursting with curiosity as she waited slightly impatiently for the boy to appear again. The older Gwen, however, knew just what it was all about and grinned to herself. She knew that in a moment's time her cousin would resurface with his most interesting find of all (except for the Omnitrix, needless to say, but as the kids were only four, the alien watched has not been discovered yet).

But Ben never came back up. Minutes passed by, but there was still no sign of the boy, nor the pearl oyster he was supposed to have unearthed. The four year old girl still stood silently by the shore, the water up to her hips, waiting for the surprise.

"Honey!" Grandpa's booming voice came from the RV, loud enough to be heard over the sea. "Pancakes are ready!"

"I'm coming, Grandpa!" Little Gwen's shrill voice yelled back towards the portable house. "Just wait a minute!"

The real Gwen, however, was getting worried. She certainly had no memory of this part of incident. She glanced towards the sea, now in an even darker shade of blue as the sun was setting fast; there was still no Ben.

Her instincts told her that the boy was in trouble. Gwen mentally smacked herself hard in the head for not noticing the gravity of the situation sooner. She ran towards the sea, the sand slowing her down. Gulping down as much air she could hold in her lungs, she dived into the water, with clothes and all, with only one aim in mind – get to the boy.

Her skin screamed at the cold sensation of the sea that she wasn't used to, but Gwen kept pressing herself forwards. She couldn't really see ahead of her, yet that didn't stop her from reaching about her surroundings, hoping to grasp on her possibly drowning cousin.

This didn't happen! Gwen thought desperately, hoping that everything was just a dream. It had been more than five minutes that Ben had plunged into the water, and from what she knew, it only takes two to three for a person to drown. This isn't what happened. This isn't part of the memory! This isn't happening!

Then at the tip of her outstretched fingers she felt something hard brush against her skin. Her heart almost skipping a beat, she opened her eyes wide and did her best to squint at whatever that was in front of her.

Only to find that she had somehow teleported to the living room of her aunt and uncle's house.

Whew! Another chapy's done. Took me long enough! Anyone know what's happening here and why Gwen's always landing in unexpected places? Maybe the name of the chapter might give you some clue.

Review please!