Disclaimer: Ben 10 and Bleach do not belong to me.
Well, everyone. I watched some episodes of Ben 10: Omniverse. Despite the graphics, it hasn't turned out as bad as I thought it would. I'll hold off my judgment for now and hope they can keep this up for the episodes to come. Anyway, as it was pointed out by my advisor, Sallem Cortez, I haven't been keeping Ben in character. Don't say anything, I have a sneaky suspicion that all of you noticed but didn't tell me for various reasons. Well, in light of this, I will be doing my best to keep Ben in character now.
Also, I know how everyone prefers the name Tia over Tier. I got to admit that I like it more too. So, Tia will be a pet name that Ben calls Tier as a sign of affection. By the way, for all you who like TiaxBen, I have a pretty good feeling you'll like chapter.
Have Time Will Travel Finale
Ben felt unusually warm right now, which was rather odd. Usually the nights here were surprisingly cold. Sure Hueco Mundo didn't have a sun and all, but Ben had never noticed the temperature in this place before. As Ben tried to figure out why he was so warm, he noticed a second feeling. As if something had wrapped itself around him. Opening one eye, Ben spotted something long and white coiled around him. As the cobwebs started getting cleared, he realized what it was. Sung-Sun!
He screamed in shock, thinking that Sung-Sun had decided to go ahead and eat him. The scream immediately alerted the others, who jumped at the possible threat of danger.
"What happened?" Apacci asked. "What's going on?" Then she spotted the coiled Sung-Sun and the frazzled Ben. "Sung-Sun?! What are you doing?!"
Sung-Sun, who had been jolted out of her sleep like the rest, turned her head towards Apacci. "What do you mean?"
"Why are you wrapped around B…I mean that human?" Apacci demanded, nearly saying Ben's name.
Ben, having spotted the slip, hoped that counted as a sign he was getting through. But at the moment, he was also curious, and slightly fearful, as to why he was in this predicament.
"What's wrong?" Sung-Sun asked as if this wasn't something out of the ordinary. "I was just keeping Ben warm while he was sleeping."
Ben didn't say a thing as he felt his cheeks warm up. Sung-Sun had never been this bold in the future. Sure she gave him that slight kiss on his wounds but she never did something like this.
"Keeping him warm?!" Mila Rose barked. "You're cuddling with him!"
"We are merely sharing body heat," Sung-Sun replied. "But if you're so jealous of me, then perhaps you'd like to keep him warm the next time?"
"As if!" The lioness and the deer cried. Then they turned their heads to hide the slight blush on their faces. Not that they actually wanted to cuddle Ben but they were starting to see that he wasn't as bad as they first thought.
"Um…not that I don't appreciate the extra warmth, Sung-Sun," Ben spoke up. "But could you give me a little warning next time? I thought you were gonna eat me."
Sung-Sun shook her head. "I wouldn't eat you. You've been so kind to us despite our treatment of you. Consider this an expression of my gratitude."
"Uh…thanks." Was all Ben could think of. "What time is it anyway?" Then he mentally slapped himself for forgetting there was no technical time in Hueco Mundo. "I mean, did I wake everyone early?"
"If everyone is tired, you may continue to rest." Harribel told the group.
"Thank goodness," Apacci sighed as she went back to her sleeping space. She shot Ben and Sung-Sun one last look before closing her eyes. Mila Rose curled up surprisingly catlike in her own sleeping spot.
Ben let out a yawn in relief. He had been woken up rather suddenly and drowsiness started to replace the adrenaline. As he lowered himself back to sleep, he felt Sung-Sun coil her body around him again. He didn't mind it this time around but nearly panicked when Sung-Sun placed her head right next to his. Despite knowing that she would become one of his closest friends in the future, being this close to a giant snake still left him a little freaked out.
Back in the future, Kevin and Ulquiorra had returned to Los Soledad, where the two filled everyone else in on why Harangue called the latter.
"That stupid Harangue," Apacci growled. "I should have socked him when I had the chance."
"Probably wouldn't have helped us out anyway," Kevin offered.
"At least I would have felt better." Apacci muttered.
Nelliel looked at Ulquiorra. "So what do we do now?"
"We're gonna mess with Harangue, that's what we're gonna do," Kevin grinned.
Findor looked up. "Why is this man a threat to Ben? Surely one as powerful as him could easily deal with a normal human."
"You forget how things work in the land of the living, Findor," Ulquiorra pointed out. "Harangue may be a normal human but he has influence with the public. Taking a violent action against him would cause the public to turn against Ben. Perhaps they would go so far as to order the military on him."
"Order the military?" Mila Rose looked skeptical. "Isn't that a going a little far?"
"A person with the power to transform into numerous aliens makes a suitable threat to the entire world. Despite his heroic reputation, Ben walks a tightrope with his power. One false move and the world could easily turn against him."
"So what?" Vega asked. "I highly doubt anything these humans have can actually stop a guy like Ben."
"We're getting off track," Gwen interrupted. "Bottom line is, Harangue could turn people against Ben and we've got to make sure that doesn't happen. Normally I wouldn't go along with this but since Harangue has put my cousin through enough problems, I say let's do it."
"I'm not sure how all this works," Starrk said. "But what should we use? I really doubt this Harangue guy will be satisfied if you tell him Ben's just a normal kid who turns into aliens and saves the world all the time. He'll expect some kind of result."
Kevin's grin became Cheshire like. "Leave that to me."
Everyone's attention was drawn to the door when they heard it open. They tensed but soon relaxed when Yoruichi stepped in.
"Hey, guys. Did I miss something?"
"We just learned that Ben's in the past and that Harangue wants Ulquiorra to big some dirt on him."
Yoruichi blinked at this news. "Okay, that alien he turned into is capable of time travel?" Everyone nodded. Yoruichi frowned. "And Harangue is...?"
"This reporter whose always bashing Ben's reputation." Kevin answered.
"That may be the least of our worries," Yoruichi said softely. Nelliel didn't like the way she sounded.
"What? What's wrong?"
Yoruichi sighed. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you. Soul Society thinks Ben is a potential threat."
Everyone, with the exception of the unconscious Harribel, tensed at her words.
"What?!" Apacci barked. "After everything he's done for them?! He beat Aizen for crying out loud!"
"That's why, isn't it?" Gwen realized. "They're scared of Ben because he beat somebody they couldn't."
Yoruichi nodded grimly. "Soul Society doesn't like anyone that powerful not being under their control. Having that Ultimatrix, especially that Alien X guy, is bad enough but now we've got Hollows who want Ben to rule over them, Ben wanting to turn said Hollows into Arrancar, and now I find out he's got an alien that can even travel through time. I'm pretty sure the higher ups in Soul Society are looking for an excuse to get rid of Ben and if they ever find out about all this stuff..."
"They'll declare war on Ben?!" Gwen was outraged.
"Gwen, calm down. Not everyone is against him. I may not have known him long but I can see that Ben's a good guy. He kinda reminds me of Ichigo. They're both stubborn little brats who try to take on the world, but at least they do it for the right reasons. He has my support. Kisuke's too. We'll help in anyway we can."
Back in Hueco Mundo, Ben decided to show the girls some of his other forms. He was currently Heatblast, locked in battle with a pig-like Hollow. The creature wasn't really strong and Heatblast ducked under his attacks with ease before shooting jets of fire into his face. A while back, he had discovered an amazing thing. Not only had the Hogyoku granted him some of his aliens' powers, it had amplified his aliens. For example: XLR8 was even faster, Four Arms was even stronger, Chromastone's energy blasts were more powerful, and Heatblast's flames were way hotter as the poor Hollow he was battling found out. The Hollow screamed in pain as it ran off, trying furiously to put out the flames.
"Yeah, you better run!" Heatblast called after the Hollow as it ran off in the distance. Brushing his hands, he turned to the girls. "Guess I was...too hot to handle."
Apacci and Mila Rose both groaned at Ben's pun but Sung-Sun gave out a little giggle. Heatblast bowed. "Thank you. You're a terrific audience." He slapped the Ultimatrix dial and turned to normal.
Harribel was watching from afar. The boy kept surprising her the more they spent time together. All these monsters he could turn into, all these powers he could use. The fact that he was able to defeat Baraggan clearly showed how amazing he was. But yet...why didn't the boy use his powers to conquer? She had a nasty feeling that she hadn't seen even half of what he could do. Surely one with such potential could take whatever he wanted, yet he devoted himself to simply helping others.
"So," Ben said. "What's on the agenda today? Walking, followed by some fighting, more walking, some more fighting and then, let me guess...more walking?"
"What did you expect?" Apacci asked rhetorically. "Look around. There's not much to do."
"So I've noticed. It's enough to make a guy go mad. Not a single smoothie or chillie fry in sight."
Mila Rose tilted her head. "What?"
"Only the best things mankind has ever invented," Ben explained. "This place really is the pits. And I'm not just saying that because there's pits everywhere."
Sung-Sun giggled again, causing Ben to grin. Stretching his arms, he started walking. "Come on. Might as well get my daily exercise."
As Ben walked off, the other girls rounded on Sung-Sun.
"What is with you?" Apacci snapped. "You're acting awfully chummy with that human."
Sung-Sun sighed dramatically. "Honestly, after all Ben's done for us, you're still being so harsh on him?"
"He's a human! He works with the Shinigami! I don't care what he says, I don't trust him!"
"Now you're just being stubborn. He's a nice boy who genuinely wants to help us. How about you show some gratitude instead of that boorish manner?"
"What did you say?!"
"Enough!" Mila Rose growled. She looked at Sung-Sun. "Are you sure we can trust him, Sung-Sun?"
"Like he said before, if he wanted to hurt us, he would have done so by now. If he could beat Baraggan, then we're nothing compared to him."
Apacci snorted. "Harribel-sama could easily kill that boy, even if he did beat up Baraggan."
"To be honest. I am not certain."
The three jumped when they realized that Harribel was right behind them.
"But I can see that this boy truly has no ill intent towards us. I believe we can trust him."
Mila Rose and Apacci looked at each other. While they were still wary of Ben, they decided that if Harribel said he could be trusted...they would try to give it a shot.
Ben himself was busy thinking. His plan to turn the Hollows into Arrancar turned out to be easier in his head than in reality. First off, how exactly he was gonna turn them into Arrancar? And second off, how could he make sure that the Hollows weren't as nasty as Arrancar? Sure, some were nice but most were vicious and mean. Always hungry and wanting to become stronger. What could he do? What? What? He needed a spot to sit down and think. Since he'd be a sitting duck trying to think in the open...
"Hey, girls. Mind if I go ahead back?"
The girls were a litttle surprised by this. "Bored already?" Apacci asked.
"Nah. Just got some thinking to do and I don't want to do it out here. Might as well be carrying a sign that says "Fresh human right here. First come, first served"."
Sung-Sun giggled again while Mila Rose and Apacci had to admit that the joke was a little funny. Only Harribel showed no reaction. "If you are certain, then you may."
Ben grinned. "See you guys later." And used his super speed to return to the cave in no time. When he returned to the cave, he pondered something he hadn't thought of before
"I wonder if the Hogyoku..." He activated the Ultimatrix and scrolled towards Grey Matter. If the Hogyoku could amplify speed, strength, and elemental powers...could it amplify intelligence?
"Well, time to give it a shot." And he slammed the dial down. In a flash of green light, he was now the tiny but brilliant Grey Matter. He dug a long finger into the sand and started writing out his plan.
"Now if I add this I should be able to get the right reaction...and if the right amount of energy is included here...course I can't forget that factor or else the whole thing's just gonna... Now if I include this theorem the desired effect should be probable." And on Grey Matter went, mumbling scientific nonsense that the Ben part of him still had no idea about. In roughly five minutes he had completed out his entire plan. "By jove, I think I got it!" He was about to slap the Ultimatrix dial to turn back to normal but something stopped him. Even though the girls were finally starting to warm up to him, he hadn't made that much progress. He wanted to do something for them. Something to really show how much he cared about them. Having memorized his original plan, he brush the equation away in the sand and started working anew. He said nothing aloud, keeping all his thoughts on his work as he wrote furiously in the sand. Fortunately with his increased intelligence, he was able to find what could possibly be the perfect way to show the girls how much he cared. Slapping the Ultimatrix dial, he transformed into Armodrillo. "I sure hope this works."
In the present, while the girls tended their mistress, everyone else gathered around Yoruichi.
"Okay, just so we're clear, Kisuke and I are on Ben's side. There's also the Vizords. They know what it's like to get targeted by Soul Society."
"Why?" Gwen asked.
"It's against the law for a Shinigami to obtain Hollow powers. Even though all of them were victims of Aizen's Hollowfication experiments, the Central 46 still treated them like they did it on purpose."
"Central 46? Those guys the higher ups?"
Yoruichi nodded. "They govern over Soul Society. The Spirit King gave them complete control. And they are extremely strict. I won't go into the exact details but here are some of their rules: 1. Shinigami aren't allowed to give their powers to a human. 2. Shinigami aren't allowed to use forbidden Kidō. 3. No citizen of Soul Society is allowed to create dangerous weapons that were not approved by the government. 4. It's forbidden to attack a captain. 5. It's against the law to commit acts of terrorism against Soul Society. 6. It's forbidden to commit murder. 7. It's forbidden to kill a Human that was not ordered to be killed. 8. Shinigami are forbidden to try and obtain Hollow powers. 9. No two Shinigami can have the same Zanpakutō. They must fight for ownership, with the spirit going to the winner, and the loser being executed. 10. It's against the law for the Gotei 13 to meddle in the affairs of the noble families unless there's proof that said family committed a crime against Soul Society. 11. It's illegal for a Shinigami to stay in the Human World longer than a certain time limit. And these are just some of the rules."
Kevin whistled. "And I thought the Plumbers were harsh."
"But like you said, the Vizords didn't try to gain Hollow powers. Aizen forced them to." Gwen pointed out. "Didn't that count for something?"
Yoruichi shook her head. "The Central 46 already saw them as Hollows and demanded their execution."
The Arrancar became tense when they heard that.
"Without a fair trial?" Gwen asked.
Yoruichi looked at the ground. "In Soul Society's eyes you're already guilty and all they need to do is give you the sentence hearing."
"That's terrible," Gwen said.
Kevin snorted. "No offense but I can kinda see why Aizen wanted to overthrow you guys. Not saying he was any better but maybe..."
"Maybe we pushed him to it." Yoruichi finished. "I wouldn't be surprised. Fortunately the original 46 were all killed by Aizen and Yamamoto filled in as a substitute. That's why Ben got allowed so much leeway after the war. Course, Ben isn't a Shinigami and not under Soul Society jurisdiction anyway. But if the new Central 46 find a way to show Ben as a threat to them..."
"They could kill Ben and claim they were doing it for the good of Soul Society," Ulquiorra finished.
"And this is the place people go to when they die?" Kevin asked skeptically.
"It's quite saddening how you Shinigami could commit such atrocities and use a mask to make it all appear justified," Ulquiorra said. "Although we Arrancar are monsters ourselves, at least we made no attempt to hide our true nature."
Yoruichi gave a small smile. "True. How very true." She looked up. "But like I said, Ben does have allies who are willing to stand by him in case something does happen."
"And so are we," Starrk said as he got up, surprising everyone.
"Hmm. You seem strangely motivated, Starrk."
"Ben's my friend," Starrk replied. "And I look after my friends."
Lilynette smiled proudly at her other self. "That's the spirit, Starrk."
"Ben had also given me a new purpose to live," Ulquiorra added. "My power is his to command."
Nelliel smiled. "What kind of woman would I be if I wasn't there for my man?"
Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun all nodded in agreement. "And Harribel-sama would say the same."
Kevin grinned. "Hey, don't forget about us. Ben wouldn't be anywhere without me and Gwen to bail him out."
Redder pumped his fist. "I've got Ben's back."
"And I would rather allow myself to become ugly beyond imagination before I allowed the amazing Ben-sama to suffer!" Charlotte declared.
Most of Baraggan's fraccion said nothing but Findor spoke up. "Ben gave us mercy when we were about to die. I am honor-bound to aid him in any way I can."
Yoruichi smiled at the scene in front of her. Much like Ichigo, Ben had a way of drawing people to his side. She hoped he was okay...wherever and whenever he was.
Back in Hueco Mundo, the girls were finally returning to their cave. Ever since Ben defeated Baraggan, most Hollows had given them a wide berth. From what they heard, Baraggan both hated and feared the mysterious being that had been able to defeat him. Having Baraggan put in his place gave Harribel satisfaction. She also heard rumors going round about how she had an assortment of bizarre and dangerous pets. It was obvious that they meant Ben's various transformations. Apparently they didn't know it was all the same person. The fact that Ben's form Clockwork was associated with her caused Harribel to become the most feared Hollow in Hueco Mundo. But the power did not go to Harribel's head. She had no desire to rule this land. But her mind strayed to the human boy. He knew fully well what she was and yet...he was so kind and thoughtful to her and her girls. Harribel found herself feeling weird. As they got closer to the cave, she spotted Ben standing at the entrance with a big grin on his face. She also noticed that he was covered in dirt.
"Hey, girls." He said.
"What happened to you?" Apacci asked. "Rolled around in the dirt?"
Ben's grin stayed. "Not quite. I have a surprise for you guys."
The girls looked at each other in confusion. A surprise?
Ben turned towards the cave. "Follow me. "And he started down the stairs.
Confused but nonetheless curious, the girls followed Ben down into the cave. When they reached the bottom, they discovered a gaping hole in the wall.
"What in the world did you do?" Mila Rose asked as she stared at the large hole.
Ben smiled at her. "Follow me." He walked into the hole. Feeling anxious and cautious, the girls slowly approached the hole, Harribel ready to strike in case this was a nasty surprise.
But greeted their eyes instead was something that could only be described as paradise. Though the lighting is dim, they could easily make out trees. Actually trees. And they bore fruit. And that wasn't all. There was even a river, grass, vegetable gardens, and a watering hole, all in a space the size of a football field.
Words could not express the girls' disbelief at what they were seeing.
"Well...what do you think?"
The girls turned their heads towards Ben, who still had that big grin on his face. He saw their reactions and was quite pleased with the results.
"You...you made this?" Harribel asked.
"Know anyone around here that could have?" Ben asked as he walked over to a tree and plucked one of the fruits off it. He walked back to the girls and held the fruit out. "Here. Try one."
The girls were uncertain about what to do. Hollows didn't really need to eat normal food. Or rather, the hunger in their bodies wasn't sustaned by mere foods anymore. Still...
Sung-Sun decided she would be the first to try. She sniffed the fruit and found it to smell a little funny. But Ben was looking at her so eagerly that she couldn't find it in her to refuse. She snatched the fruit out of his hand with one chomp. As soon as the fruit touched her tongue, her eyes went wide.
Harribel was on instant alert. "Sung-Sun. What's wrong?"
Sung-Sun swallowed the fruit. "That...was...delicious."
Ben's smile grew. Completely shocked by this, Mila Rose and Apacci went over to the closest tree. Both took some of the fruits and started eating. Like Sung-Sun, they were shocked by the delicious flavor of the fruits. They were so sweet and juicy despite their slight odor. Apacci went over to one of the vegetables and took a bite. She moaned a little in pleasure. It was so rich and crunchy. Sung-Sun and Mila Rose followed her example and were overwhelmed by the deliciousness.
"Harribel-sama! These are wonderful!" Apacci cheered.
Harribel was completely amazed by all of this. She turned towards Ben. "How could you have possibly managed all of this?"
"Well, it wasn't easy. First I had to turn into Grey Matter to figure all this out. Next, I turned into Armodrillo to make all this space and the riverbed. Once that was all set up, I used Upchuck to clear out any leftover chuncks of rock and turn them into nutrients for the sand. Thanks to the nutrients, the ground became perfectly good soil. Following that, I used Water Hazard to fill the the place up with water. With the water done, I used my plant guys to grow the plants. Not only do they provide food, they also provide good structural support. Afterwards, I was able to use Lodestar to luckily find some iron filled metal, which I then magnetized. Next, I had Upgrade mold the metal into a self-sufficient irrigation system and water recycling device. As soon as I was done there, I used Water Hazard again to replace the water that been used up by the plants. Ha! Here everyone thought I never payed any attention in class. While I was Grey Matter, I figured that, as long as the food is properly rationed, this stuff could feed over a dozen Hollows daily, providing them with something else to eat besides souls. You guys seemed to like it so I'm sure other Hollows will too."
The girls were completely struck dumb as they took all this in. Perhaps the one most affected was Apacci. She had been against Ben the most...and yet after the way she treated him he had gone and done this for all of them. If there was any doubts in her mind about the boy, they were erased right here and now. Mila Rose shared those feelings. She may not had been as vocal about her distrust of Ben as Apacci had but she had been unfair to him too. This boy, doing something like this...she knew that she certainly didn't deserve -Sun didn't feel as guilty as the other two since she had been the first to offer Ben any trust. But she was just as moved as the other girls were at the boy's kindness. They had done nothing to warrant him to offer such a precious gift.
"Ben...I'm sorry." Apacci lowered her head. "I was such a jerk to you and...and..."
Ben smiled as he walked over and hugged her neck. "Hey. No hard feelings, right?" Apacci's eyes widened and she felt nervous. Mila Rose walked up to them.
"Ben...please forgive me."
Ben smiled as he reached out and gently stroked the side of her head like a cat. Mila Rose leaned into his touch and began to softly purr. Sung-Sun coiled herself around the groupd and sent stroke Ben's face with her own.
"Thank you, Ben. Thank you for all you've done."
Ben gave a sheepish smile while a blush lit up his face as he remembered the girls' future selves.
The weird feeling Harribel had was coming back stronger than ever. This human was impossible. And yet she couldn't help but feel moved. As far as she could remember, she was not use to anyone showing her any form of kindness and now Ben had gone and done something like this. It was almost too much. But then a small rational part of her mind realized something.
"Wait. Without a sun to provide energy for these plants, they'll surely die. Possibly within months."
Ben's blush died down as his grin came back. "Got you covered." He activated the Ultimatrix, twisted the dial and then slammed it down. In a flash of light he turned into Chromastone. He led the girls to a metal semi-circle like structure with a candle holder inside a gyroscope fastened in the middle of the ceiling.
"See this? It's made of the same magnetic materials as the irrigation system. Using my other smart guy,Brainstorm, I was able to calibrate it with his lightning. It rotates horizontally on a 24 hour system, providing every corner of the area with it's own day and night as long as it has a light source."
Harribel was astonished. "And this monster you turned into is going provide the light source."
Chromastone chuckled. "Yep. But I can't do it without your help."
The girls looked back and forth between each other. What could they do to help?"
"While I'm Chromastone, I can store loads of energy. I can even store that energy into parts of me and break them off. I want you girls to hit me with your Cero. I'll absorb the energy and store it in my horn."
"Your horn?"
"Once the energy is stored, I'll break my horn off and put it in that holder. That should be able to provide this place with an easily rechargeable sun, providing the plants with energy and this place with a night and day. Well. What do you say?"
The girls didn't need any convincing as they all began charging up their Cero. Harribel's was yellow, Mila Rose's was orange, Apacci's was red, and Sung-Sun's was dark pink. After seeing all the things Ben had accomplished, they had no doubts in their minds that this would work. The Cero shot towards Chromastone in a multicolored blast. For a brief moment they feared that Ben was going to be obliterated but instead watched as their Cero really were absorbed into him. His body radiated with the glow from their attacks.
"Alright! That worked!" Closing his eye, Chromastone focused all power to his horn. Said appendage shined brightly. Grabbing it with both hands, Chromastone broke his horn off and approached the candle holder. Gently, he placed horn inside. As soon as he did, the light shined through the entire place. Yellow, pink, orange, and red light dazed around like the Northern Lights, making the paradise before them look like some dazzling Garden of Eden.
It was this sheer beauty that finally broke the dam, releasing the overwhelming feelings that Harribel tried to hold back. Ben turned to address her but panicked as he noticed tears slowly falling down her cheeks.
"T-Tier! What's wrong?"
The panic in Ben's voice snapped the other girls out of their reverie and they quickly dashed to their mistress. Ben swiftly followed them.
"Tier-"
But before he could say anothe word, Harribel grabbed him and held him tightly. Ben was momentarily stunned by the sudden action but snapped back to reality as he felt her sob into his shoulder. Awkwardly wrapping his arms around her, he wondered if he had screwed up somehow and upset her.
"Thank you," Harribel muttered as her face was still buried in his shoulder. "Thank you so much. You've...you've done all this for us and you've never asked for anything in return."
Ben smiled. "No big. Helping people is what I do. I am a hero after all."
"As far as I can remember...no one has ever treated me like this before. I was too scared to even think that...someone cared."
"Hey," Ben said. "I care."
"I know. I see that now. Ben...I've never believed in gods before. Not even Shinigami, so-called Gods of Death, were gods in my eyes. They saw us as the monsters I've always known us to be. Not caring of our pain, our suffering, just seeing us as something to kill. And Baraggan. His foolish arrogance and cruel nature. I would never acknowledge him as a god. But...if I was to believe that there was indeed a god in this world...then it's you."
Ben quickly back-pedaled. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't mind being called a Hero. Or awesome. Or even super. But even I think being called a god's a little overdoing it. I just want to show that Hollows don't need to prey on humans. I'm sure that if the Shinigami realized that, they'd probably leave you guys alone."
"So you told me when we first met. I'm sorry I doubted you and treated you so unfairly."
"Hey, you had every right to doubt me. The guys before sure didn't give any reason to trust a random stranger. Heck, I probably looked like a lunatic in your eyes."
"And now I see how foolish I was to think that. I didn't believe...no, I refused to believe there could be a better existence for us. Then you came along. As I watched you do the things you do, I slowly found myself starting to hope against hope that maybe you could make a difference. And now that I've seen this...this beauty in front of me, I realize now that you can make a difference."
Harribel suddenly got down on one knee and grasped Ben's hand. "Ben Tennyson, I swear to stand by your side forever and make it my mission to ensure that your goal becomes a reality."
Ben's brain completely shut down when Harribel made her declaration. He hadn't expected this to happen. "Ti...tier, you don't have to do this..."
"I want to do this." Harribel told him.
"Me too!"
Everyone turned towards Apacci. Ben blinked. "Apacci?"
"Harribel-sama's right. You're the one who can make a difference. And I'll do everything I can to help you. I swear to stand by your side forever!"
"A-apacci..."
"And I swear too!"
"Mila Rose?!"
"Ben, what you've given us is more than just a beautiful place. You've given us hope. You've given us kindness. You've given us a true reason to become stronger. I swear to stand by your side and become as strong as I can for you!"
"W-wait a minute girls..."
But his words died in his mouth as Sung-Sun gently wrapped around him.
"I too swear to stand by Ben Tennyson forever. My strength will be his strength."
"Uhhhhhh," Ben was at a loss for what to say. But then his eyelids started to feel heavy, his body starting to feel sluggish, and a yawn escaped him.
Sung-Sun giggled. "Poor Ben must have wiped himself out." Using her long body, she was able to gently lower Ben to the soft ground.
"I...guess I feel a little (yawn) worn out."
Sung-Sun smiled as she recoiled herself around him again. "Sleep tight, Ben."She cooed as she nuzzled him affectionately. Just then she felt Mila Rose and Apacci cuddle up next to Ben. "Ah...you two wanted to snuggle with him too?"
Both Hollows had light blushes on their faces. Instead of arguing with Sung-Sun like they usually did, they simply grumbled. Apacci rested her nose on Ben's chest while Mila Rose nuzzled her mane into his shoulder, purring again as she did so. The three closed their eyes as they wrapped themselves around their hero.
Harribel watched the four. While she was happy for them, she felt a small ache inside her and a strange desire to also be beside Ben. Was she...was she developing romantic feelings for him? She would have declared such a thing impossible in the past but maybe now...
She was shocked out of her musings by Ben screaming in pain. The other girls quickly jumped off him, afraid that they may have caused him pain. Ben was clutching his head in agony.
"Ben! What's wrong?" Harribel asked.
"I-I don't know! My head is killing me!"
"Ben! Your hands! Look at your hands!"
Ben did indeed look at his hands at Sung-Sun's assitance. His eyes widened when he saw his hands had become transparent.
"Ben! What's happening?" Harribel asked.
"Heck if I know," Ben admitted. "Either I just gained Ghostfreak's powers or something's really really wrong with me." He yelped in pain and fell to the ground as he got another headache.
The girls tried to figure out what to do when they felt a crushing pressure enter their midst. Somone was in their cave.
"There's an intruder!" Apacci called. "Harribel-sama, please look after Ben! We'll deal with this jerk!" Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun dashed towards the hole to confront the intruder. Harribel got down on her knees beside Ben. She felt so useless. He was in pain and she didn't know how to help him. She gently placed his head on her lap and began stroking his hair, hoping it would somehow help.
"Ben. Please be alright. I don't want to lose you. Not now."
Ben didn't reply back. His body was starting to spasm and he didn't know how to stop.
But then she sensed her girls were in danger. And the sudden shake and sound of an explosion increased her worry. She didn't want to leave Ben like this but she was also scared for the girls.
"G-go."
Harribel looked down at Ben. "What?!"
"Go! H-help them. I'll be alright."
Harribel was torn. She didn't want to make a decision like this. It felt to her that someone was gonna get hurt either way.
"I'll be okay. Go. I-I'll join you soon. I promise."
Harribel closed her eyes. "Ben, I promise I'll come back for you."
"Be-be careful."
Harribel gently put Ben down and went off to confront the intruder. As Ben tried to make the pain go away he looked down at himself. Much to his horror, his body began fading back and forth.
"What is wrong with me?!"
Ben then remembered a sci-fi movie he saw when he was a kid. The movie dealt with time travel and the hero did something like this when he was returning back to his own time.
"No. Not yet. I can't leave now. They need me." He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He didn't know if this would actually work but he was desperate to do anything right now. He could faintly make out the sounds of battle. "I won't leave them like this! I won't!" His body looked almost completely transparent. "I WON'T!"
And as if by magic, his body was back to normal. "Phew." he got to his feet. "Now, it's hero time!" He left the garden and found the caves a complete mess but nobody was there. Fearing the worst, Ben dashed outside the cave. And what he saw chilled him to the bone.
The girls were all scattered around, lying in the sand. They were deeply cut and badly bruised. The sight made Ben clench his fist. Whoever did this was going to be in for a world of hurt!
And then Ben saw him. A blue-humanoid looking creature with a hammerhead...well...head holding some kind of energy blade in his hand. A deep gash on the side of his head caused Ben's eyes to widen. This was the Hammerhead shark that Harribel cut down back when they faced Baraggan. But...why was he so different now? That didn't matter. What did matter was that he had hurt the girls and now he was going down.
"Leave them alone!" Ben bellowed.
The Hammerhead, who was looming over Harribel, froze when he heard the new voice. he looked up and saw Ben standing there with the darkest look he ever had. But the Hammerhead was not intimidated.
"A human?" He asked mockingly.
Ben slowly started to approach the Hammerhead. "Buddy. You just made a big mistake."
The Hammerhead was still not scared. "I don't know how you got here, human. But I'm gonna enjoy this."
Harribel, who was still conscious, managed to weakly push herself up. Ben's rage kicked up when he saw that she was badly bleeding.
"Be…Ben," Harribel said weakly. "Get…out of here. Run!"
Ben shook his head. "Forget it, Tier. I never left you before and I don't plan on doing it now." Ben glared at the Hammerhead. "Alright, Fish-Face. You just bought yourself a pounding!" He activated the Ultimatrix. "It's Hero Time!" He slammed down the Ultimatrix dial down and was engulfed with the familiar green light.
"What the?!" The Hammerhead cried out.
The green light faded and Ben was replaced by Echo Echo. The Hammerhead just stared at him for a moment before laughing his head off. "How do you expect to stop me, you little bug?"
"Like. This." Echo Echo replied as he slapped the dial again. In a moment, Echo Echo was replaced with Ultimate Echo Echo. "Now," Ultimate Echo Echo said. "I believe I owe you a butt whooping."
"Heh. Foolish little freak. My power is far beyond your understanding." The Hammerhead began unleashing his reiatsu out on the battlefield. While it started to crush Harribel and the others, Ultimate Echo Echo was not impressed. This guy's power was nothing compared to the Espada.
"Sorry, but I've felt worse." Raising his hands, Ultimate Echo Echo fired a sonic blast. His enhanced powers blasted the Hammerhead off his feet and into the plateau right behind him. The Hammerhead weakly got to his feet, shocked at the display of power he was just shown.
"How...how could you...how are you..."
"How am I better than you?" Ultimate Echo Echo asked. "Simple. I just am."
The Hammerhead furiously created another energy sword and charged at Ultimate Echo Echo. The hero lazily raised his arms and blasted his opponent with another sonic blast. The Hammerhead screamed in pain from the sound as he was blasted off his feet again.
Harribel stared. Ben was beating this foe around like he was nothing! Incredible.
"I'm in a really bad mood right now so I'd better wrap this up quickly." Ultimate Echo Echo said. He fired the sonic disks off his body and had them surround the Hammerhead, who was completely confused by what was going on.
"Sonic...Doom!"
The Hammerhead screamed in agony was he was blasted in a sphere of sound. He clutched his head and continued screaming, begging for the sound to stop. Once he was certain it was enough, Ultimate Echo Echo stopped his attack. The disks ceased their sonic blasts and the Hammerhead collapsed to the ground. The disks flew back to Ultimate Echo Echo. In a flash he was Echo Echo and then in another flash he was Ben again. He walked over to an amazed Harribel.
"You okay?"
"I'll be fine. The others?"
Ben went to check on the girls and let out a breath of relief as they slowly started getting up. Apacci eyed Ben.
"Ben!" She tackled him happily. "You're alright!" Then she spotted the Hammerhead lying on the ground. "Ben?...Did you do that?"
Ben smiled. "Yeah. Probably overkill but he put me in a bad mood. Don't worry. He won't be getting up anytime soon."
Mila Rose got up. "Looks like we have something else to thank you for."
Ben smiled. "Hero, remember? Comes with the territory."
"So, Ben," Sung-Sun asked softly. "Are you okay?"
That question caused Ben to look at the sandy ground. "I'm think it's time for me to go back home, guys."
"What?!"
"Why?!" Apacci demanded.
Ben sighed. "Something is pulling me back. I was able to fight it earlier but I was probably lucky. Next time it happens...I'll probably leave for good."
"No!" Apacci dashed forward and nuzzled her head into his shoulder. He could make out slight sniffles muffled by his jacket. "Don't...Don't leave. Please."
Ben felt his heart sink as he hugged Apacci. "I don't think I have a choice."
"Ben..."
Ben smiled at the girls. "Don't worry. We'll see each other again."
"R-really?" Mila Rose asked quietly.
Ben walked over and gently patted her between the ears. She purred. "I promise. Come on. Let's go seal the garden up."
"Seal it up?" Sung-Sun asked.
"I don't want it ruined. Don't worry. I promise you guys...we will see each other again. And this time...we'll stay together."
"Really?" Apacci asked hopefully.
Ben grinned as he thought of all the adventures they would have in the future. "Definitely."
Harribel remained silent this whole time before walking towards Ben. As she got closer she broke out into a run before throwing her arms around him.
"Good-bye, Ben. When we meet again, I shall stand by your side forever."
"Me too!" Apacci cried.
"Me three!"
Me four!"
Ben smiled. Suddenly his body started fading again. It was time for him to go. "Good-bye guys. Stay alive until then."
"We will, Ben!" The girls assured him.
"We'll see each other again. I promissssssssssse!" And with that, Ben faded completely.
In the present, Harribel's eyes shot up open and she bolted upright from the bed. The action caused nearly everyone to jump.
"Harribel-sama!" Apacci rejoiced. "You're okay!"
Harribel looked around the room frantically, as if looking for something in particular.
"Harribel-sama?" Mila Rose asked. "Are you alright?"
In the past, Harribel and the girls had just sealed up the entrance to their secret garden. They didn't know how long it would take for Ben to return but they eargerly awaited it. But as they left the cave again, they were greeted by a terrible sight. The Hammerhead was lying on the ground...dead. Standing above him was a robed man with slicked back brown hair and a sword in his hand. Blood was splashed along the sword's blade Harribel's eyes widened. This man was a Shinigami!
"I do apologize if this one gave you any trouble." The man said as he turned to face them. "Are you the one who did this?" He asked Harribel. Harribel and the girls immediately tensed up. "I must say I'm impressed." He walked over to her. "I could use someone of your power. Would you like to join my group? I could make you more powerful than you could ever imagine."
Harribel narrowed her eyes. "My loyalty is to another. One far greater than you."
The man was unshaken by her attitude. "Really? That's quite interesting." He turned his sword over and held it in front of her. "Would you like to know the name of my Zanpakuto?"
Harribel wasn't sure what this man was about to do, but she braced herself for an attack.
"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu."
Ben found himself back where this whole mess started. Los Soledad. He wondered how long he had been gone and where everyone was. He decided to take a look around.
The Shinigami stood before the collapsed girls as he was approached by a certain silver-haired man with a slit like smile.
"My...these four gave you some trouble, didn't they, Lord Aizen?"
"Yes. I was able to use my Kyoka Suigetsu on them to make them think their allegiance was to me. However..."
The silver-haired man was curious. "However?"
"They able to resist it for a short while. No-one ever has ever been capable of doing that before. They held something. Something close to their hearts. Or whatever Hollows have instead of hearts. Whatever it was, it gave them the strength to fight off my Zanpakuto's complete hypnosis."
"Oh, is that gonna be a problem?"
"No. I was finally able to make them believe that I am the one they hold in such reverence, though I must applaude whoever they did cherish so much. They must have been someone great." Suddenly he paused.
"What's wrong, Lord Aizen?"
"For a brief moment...I felt a chill."
"Maybe it was a premonition."
"Hmmhmm. I do so enjoy that wit of yours, Gin. Now, let's take these four back to Las Noches. We'll soon have some new Arrancar to add to our ranks."
Harribel stood frozen as the final pieces of her memory clicked into place.
I can't believe it. After all this time. Aizen. Aizen you should grateful that you're dead or I would make you suffer a thousand times worse!
"Harribel?" Gwen called, causing the former Espada to look at her. "Are you alright?"
Harribel gave her a soft smile as her eyes began to water. "Yes, Gwen. Better than I have ever felt in a long time." Her eyes widened. "Ben?! Where's Ben?!"
"Uh...about that. He's uh...well..."
"Hello! Anybody here?"
Everyone froze.
"That voice..."
"Was that..."
Harribel felt her eyes water again as she got up and went for the door faster than anybody could react. She flung the door open and spotted Ben wondering among the buildings. She immediately dashed out and ran straight for him. Ben barely had time to turn before Harribel threw him into a tight hug.
"Ben," She whispered as she hugged him. Her tears falling freely. "It's you. After all this time. It's really you."
"T-Tier?"
"I remember, Ben." She smiled so brightly. "I remember everything!"
Ben stared at her for a moment as her words finally connected. "You do? You remember?!"
"All of it, Ben. Including my promise. Oh, Ben. It was Aizen. When you left, he used Kyoka Suigetsu on us."
Ben's jaw dropped. Aizen had been there the entire time?!
"We tried to resist it, Ben. Our loyalty was for you, not him. But he finally overpowered us, making us believe that it was he who we swore our loyalty to. Ben, I'm sorry I didn't remember you when you first came to Hueco Mundo. Or...would it be the second time?"
Ben shrugged. "Whichever. Time travel's weird. And Tier, don't worry. I don't blame you for what Aizen did."
"But, I realize that he only partially got us. I think a part of me still knew that it was you all along. And when you finally returned to Hueco Mundo. That's why I felt the way I did, the way I do now. My feelings were not erased, they were merely suppressed. And being with you again, my feelings simply grew and grew until my true loyalty came despite my lack of memories. And now that I remember everything, I can finally keep my promise to you."
Ben grinned sheepishly. "Sorry for making you wait so long."
"I'm not exactly thrilled about being used as Aizen's cannon fodder" Seeing Ben lower his head, Harribel gently tiled his head back up. "But deep down, I do believe it was worth it."
"Ben!" Gwen barreled her cousin as she hugged him. Then her nose smelt something and she backed off. "How come you smell like you haven't bathed in days?"
"Err...how long have I been gone?"
"An hour. Maybe an hour and a half."
"An hour and a half? I was in there for days! Or whatever counts as days there!"
"Days?!"
"It's not impossible." Kevin admitted. "Time travel, remember? A person who can time travel could be gone for years and then come back where it seems he was only gone like an hour. But you got to be careful thinking about it. Putting too much thought hurts the head. So, what made you come back, Tennyson?"
"Err...I was kinda forced to. For some reason I started fading in and out before finally being pulled back here."
"That's easy to explain," Gin said, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "Time anomalies are quite common according to Paradox. He theorized that you're little time stunt would cause the time rift to try and fix itself up, sending you back to your proper time and place."
Ben deadpanned. "Yeah, thanks to for giving me a little warning that I would travel back in time, Gin!"
Gin just smiled. "Come on, Ben. Paradox thought the surprise would make it more fun."
"While I'm a little annoyed," Ben looked at Harribel and smiled. "I'm glad Paradox tricked me." Harribel smiled back. Ben looked at her Fraccion. "Did you guys get your memories back yet?"
The girls shook their heads sadly. Ben frowned. "Maybe we just need something to job your memory."
"Ben, I have the perfect idea. Let's unseal the garden. I think now would be a good time as any."
Ben's smile come back and grew. "That's a great idea!"
"Um...how about you shower first?" Kevin said as he pinched his nose. "Seriously. How could you not smell yourself while you were there?"
"In Hueco Mundo, personal hygiene is the least of one's concerns," Harribel retorted. "Kevin, may we use your jet? It would be more convenient for us."
"Convenient for what?"
"Ben created a special place for us during his stay. I believe that it would be the perfect thing to help my girls remember."
Kevin rolled his eyes but his smirk said otherwise. "Alright, alright. I'll go start it up."
Harribel looked at Nelliel. "Nellie, would you like to come?"
Nelliel felt a little jealous that the other girls got to spend even more quality time with Ben, but she didn't have it in her to be rude. "Sure."
"Ulquiorra? Starrk? Would you like to come?"
"Everyone else can go but I shall stay here and keep an eye on these ones." Ulquiorra glances at Baraggan's fraccion.
Soon, everyone who wanted to come were loaded up into the jet. Harribel got to the front and created a Garganta in the sky.
"Alright, everyone. Buckle up!"
Kevin hit the throttle and the jet sped into the garganta. With Harribel, Nelliel, and Starrk's help, Kevin was able to pilot the jet through the swirling darkness. That wasn't to say that it was a smooth ride. The jet rattled and shook and everyone thought they were going to be flipped more than once. But soon they blasted through the darkness and Hueco Mundo was in front of them.
"Feels so weird being back here," Gwen said as she looked around.
"So where to?" Kevin asked Harribel.
Harribel looked over the landscape as she tried to get her bearings. She guided Kevin through the vast desert sand to the surprisingly more rocky areas and Kevin and Gwen didn't even know existed.
"Huh. I always thought this place was just sand...sand...and more sand."
"The place is a wasteland regardless," Harribel told Kevin. "Over there. That's where our cave was."
Kevin landed the jet just next to the entrance. Once the boardwalk lowered, Ben dashed down with Harribel close behind. The girls were amazed. They had never seen their mistress so full of life before. What was this sanctuary the two of them kept talking about?
"Shortly after you left," Harribel told Ben as they went into the cave. "We sealed the entrance but left slight openings so that the plants could get air. But right after we were done, we went outside for some fresh air for ourselves...and Aizen was outside."
Ben frowned. "Aizen. I can't believe he was there the whole time and I didn't even know it."
"It couldn't be helped, Ben. Perhaps the two of you weren't meant to see each other until the day Paradox dropped you into the Winter War."
Ben put his hands in his pockets as they slowed the pace down. "I guess so."
The two reached the bottom of the stairs and Harribel lead Ben to the large boulder they had used to block the entrance up. Hearing the sound of footsteps behind them, Ben turned to see the others had followed them.
"So..." Starrk said as he paused to catch his breathe. "Where is this place you keep talking about?"
"Right here," Harribel answered as she moved the boulder. A faint light shined from within. Harribel stepped in first, followed by Ben. The others followed right after.
"Oh...wow."
Everyone gazed at the amazing sight before them.
Kevin whistled. "What is this place?"
"A special paradise Ben made."
"Ben made this?" Kevin and Gwen stared at said hero.
"With a little help from my aliens." Ben admitted. He took a look around. The plants had become wild and untamed with the light almost gone. Ben was impressed that the light had managed to last thing long. "What do you think girls? Girls?" He looked over at Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun, who were starting wide eyes and opened mouth at the sight before them. "Girls? Yohoo!"
"Ben!"
The next thing Ben knew, he was knocked to the ground with all three girls hugging him.
"It's you!" Apacci cried happily. "It's really you!"
"We remember!" Mila Rose laughed. "We remember everything, Ben!"
"Oh, we missed you!" Sung-Sun chirped as she nuzzled him.
"Missed me?" Ben grinned. "How could you miss me?"
"Aizen screwed up our memories." Apacci saddened. "Aw, Ben. Sorry I was such a jerk to you."
"We all are, Ben." Mila Rose added while Sung-Sun nodded.
Ben smiled as he got them in a big group hug. "All's forgiven." The girls blushed a little as they remembered the cuddling they did with Ben back in the past. Once he released them, Ben looked over at the crystal. "Looks like we need to give the crystal a recharge." Ben activated the Ultimatrix, switched the dial to Chromastone and slammed it down. In a flash of green light, he was Chromastone. Gwen and Kevin watched curiously as Chromastone pulled the crystal from the holder.
"Alright, girls. You girls remember how we charged this?"
The girls nodded spotted Nelliel standing by herself. It just hit him that Nelliel was probably feeling left out. Then he found a way to involve her in this.
"Hey, Nelliel. Come over here."
Nelliel turned around. "Huh?"
"Come on. The girls will show you want to do."
Nelliel found herself shyly moving next to the other girls. She couldn't help it. They seemed to become so much closer to Ben now. She stood next to the rest of them.
"Nelliel, charge up your Cero and fire at Chromastone."
Nelliel blinked. "What?"
"Don't worry. It's perfectly safe."
Harribel, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun started charging up their Cero. Still uncertain, Nelliel did as they did regardless. Her violent Cero joined in with the others.
"Uh, Ben?" Gwen asked. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Chromastone smiled. "Don't worry. It is. Okay, girls! Fire!"
The five girls fired their Cero at Chromastone. Like before, Chromastone absorbed the Cero and channeled them into the horn. "Awesome, girls! Now watch this!"
Chromastone jabbed the horn back into the holder, flooding the area with yellow, violet, pink, orange, and red blasts of color. Nelliel, Kevin, Gwen, Lilynette, Yoruichi, and Starrk all starred at the beautiful sight before them.
"Wow," Gwen breathed. "Beautiful."
Kevin then noticed the fruits and vegetables. "Hey, Tennyson. These things edible?" Then without thinking, he chomped into one. His eyes widened at the delicious taste. "Whoa!"
"Ben, this place is incredible." Lilynette said as she looked around.
"And here I thought you never payed attention in class," Gwen said playfully. "If only your teachers could see this."
Ben cringed. "No thanks. Then they'd give me even more homework and more tests! I have enough already."
Kevin snorted. "Right. More like scarfing chilli fries and splattering them all over your work."
Ben frowned at Kevin.
"Ben," Yoruichi said. "I have got to hand it to you. You really did good here."
"Yeah. I think Hollows could probably eat this stuff instead of people's souls. Should give them plenty of things to eat until I can work on my Arrancar plan."
Yoruichi looked at her feet. "I'll...tell you about that later, Ben. Right now" Her grin came back. "I think a certain lady might want some company."
"Huh?" Ben noticed that Harribel was no longer among them. "Where did..." Then he spotted Yoruichi pointing to the entrance. Apparently Harribel had left. Winking playfull at Ben, Yoruichi said. "Go get her, Ben."
Feeling his cheeks warm, Ben looked at the others. They were all too busy exploring the garden. Taking a deep breath, Ben left the garden and entered the main part of the cave. Looking around, he didn't spot her. Which meant she had left the cave. Walking up the stairs, Ben found Harribel standing near the entrance.
"Tier?" He called.
Harribel turned her head towards Ben. "Hello, Ben."
Ben smiled. "Well, this was sure crazy, huh?"
Harribel chuckled. "Quite strange how time works, isn't it?"
"Yeah." But now Ben couldn't think of anything else to say. Kicking the sand a bit. "Well..."
"Now I can fulfill my promise."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. The promise."
Harribel looked at Ben. "I am happy that I can finally fulfill my oath to you. To be by your side for as long as I can."
Ben scratched his head. "And...that might be a long time."
Harribel raised a brow at this. "What do you mean?"
"I've been doing some thinking lately. You know how I can regenerate now right?"
"Yes?"
"Well, I noticed that in a lot of comics where the guy has regenerating abilities, his powers do something to his body and when he reaches a certain age...he stops aging."
Harribel's breath hitched. "Ben..."
"I don't know if I'll become immortal or something but i think that I'll at least live for a long age. Probably a few hundred years even. Maybe even longer."
Harribel stared.
"I...I don't know if you or the others would want to be with me that l..."
But Ben was unable to complete as the next thing he felt was Harribel grabbing him by his jacket and crushing her lips onto his. Now Ben had felt fireworks plenty of times before but as soon as their lips connected, that kiss lit up his world like it was the freaking Fourth of July! He had never been kissed on the lips before. Especially not by an older woman who Ben would not deny was seriously hot! Ben found himself not minding getting more of those kisses. But then just as the sensation started, it stopped. Ben felt Harribel's lips leave his and it left him both tingly and confused. He saw Harribel reel back with a guilt driven look on her face.
"Tier? What's wrong?"
"Ben," She closed her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I promised that I would never force this on you and here I am..."
"Tier, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong." Ben played with his fingers. "I, uh, well, I uh...I kinda liked it."
Ben had Harribel's undivided attention now.
"Could we, um...do it again?"
Harribel blinked a few times to make sure she heard right. Once she was certain, her whole being swelled with joy. She slowly walked back over to Ben before placing her arms around his neck. "As many times as you want."
And so the two kissed again. It was still a dynamite kiss but Ben was better prepared now. Shyly, he wrapped his arms around Harribel's waist, causing the two of them to become closer together. Ben felt his face heating because he could feel Harribel's breasts pressing up against him but he did nothing to ruin their moment. Harribel on the other hand was filled with happiness. She didn't know if Ben actually returned her feelings but this clearly meant he was willing to give things a chance. And at the moment, that was good enough for her. Soon, the need for them to breathe came and they parted.
"Wow." Ben said as he was certain that he was seeing stars.
Harribel giggled. "What's wrong? Never been kissed like that before."
Ben chuckled sheepishly. "Actually. I haven't."
Harribel was surprised. "You and...your previous girlfriend...?"
Ben lowered his head sadly. "No. We...we..."
"You two never really did anything intimate did you?"
Ben shook his head. Harribel pulled Ben to her.
"Ben. I'm here and we can be as intimate as you like."
Ben's jaw dropped. "huh..."
"There's no need to rush though, Ben. If you're certain about your regeneration theory, we'll be together for a long time. We can take things slow if that makes you comfortable."
Ben gave a slight smile. During his adventure in the past, he had gotten to know Harribel even more. He had become far more comfortable around her. He knew that plenty of guys out there would do anything to get with a woman like Harribel. Aside from being absolutely gorgeous she was strong, independent, but also very caring and protective of those close to her. Perhaps that whole experience finally opened his eyes to what a wonderful woman she really was. And how lucky he was to have her in his life.
"Tier...there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Yes, Ben?"
"Would you...like to go out some time?"
Harribel was half tempted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. She and Ben finally kissed and now he was asking her on a date. It was almost too good to be true.
"I know this special place we could go. If you're...interested that is."
"Ben. You should know by now that I'd love to go out with you."
Ben smiled. "Awesome. So, uh...would this Saturday be cool?"
"I might be a little busy grading some school work...but I think I can manage."
Ben's smile was even bigger. "Sweet!"
"Oh and Ben."
"Yeah?"
"Call me Tia. I always did prefer that name over Tier."
Ben smiled again. "Sure thing...Tia."
But unknown to the two, they had a spectacter. Nelliel had followed Ben shortly after. She had seen everything and was now biting her lower lip. Ben and Harribel had just kissed...and soon they would be going on a date. The original Third Espada wondered if her chances with Ben had just gone from slim to none.
End of Chapter
Well, everyone. The mini-arc is finally done. I know it's pretty lengthy but I did say I was going to wrap it up in this chapter. I hope you all liked it.
Well, Ben's got feelings for Harribel. Which girl should be next? Nelliel or one of Harribel's Fraccion.
Also, I'll soon be incorporating elements of Omniverse into the story, like some of Ben's newer aliens. I'm also thinking that Ben will eventually lose the Ultimatrix and gains the new Omnitrix. Till next time, everyone.
Once again I'd like to thank Sallem Cortez as it was thanks to him these awesome ideas came to be. Thanks, man!
Till next time everyone.