Can You Stand The Rain
Author's Note: …Well… You guys have certainly waited long enough, that's for sure. When was this updated again? June 6th, 2021? MY GOD. To all my readers, I'm truly sorry. I've explained this in my other fanfics, but life is really something. It's amazing how it can just take all your motivation away, especially when your laptop (meaning my laptop lol) suddenly decides to stop working when you try to update. It seems that all of my reviews have the topic of if I've forgotten about this story, or if I'm ever going to update it. To answer all these reviews, there's no need to worry anymore, because I'M BACK, AND I PLAN ON UPDATING THIS CONSISTENTLY! THE SHOW GOES ON! And for everyone else that left a review and stated that they like the story, THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN TOO LONG, SO LET'S GET RIGHT INTO IT! CUE THE FREAKING THEME MUSIC!
Intro Music: Ben 10 Original Theme
Chapter 6: Back to the Past Part 2
All things considered, the Tennysons were taking a risk here.
They always try to help everybody, but helping one of their most dangerous foes, Charmcaster, wasn't expected to be on the list. Heck, the only one who was pushing for it was Ben. Grandpa Max could get on board with it just off of Ben's pure willingness to help, but as for Gwen…
Yeah, Gwen wasn't a fan of this situation at all. They weren't just rivals. They probably hated each other, no matter the time in history. Even in the present, with Charmcaster trying to prove she's changed, the arguing with Gwen still hasn't ended.
We go back to the past, and yes, it still hasn't changed.
Still, there has to be a reason for the two never being able to get along. The best way to find out a possible reason is to go back to the past, where maybe, just maybe, you can find a cause, along with an effect.
The Tennysons had parked the Rustbucket near the woods, deciding to set up camp and sleep for the night. However, before they get to the sleeping part, it's important to note that Charmaster, who was last seen looking like roadkill, was still recovering in the Rustbucket. At this point, she's been unconscious for a long time, but… for someone as powerful as she is, she can only be unconscious for so long.
Eventually, she started to finally wake up, as her eyes started to flutter. Initially, everything looked blurry, but when her vision started getting back to normal, it's clear that she was extremely confused on where she was.
Charmcaster started to sit up, holding her head and grunted a bit. It's like she got over the worst headache of all time, even though she can still feel something isn't right. Not just physically, but mentally.
She tried her best to analyze her surroundings. However… once she heard a certain voice, it did become clear on where she was.
"It's about time you woke up."
Charmcaster turned in the direction of where the voice came from, and to her utmost surprise, she saw her rival, Gwen Tennyson.
This is when everything suddenly clicked for Charmcaster. She was in the Rustbucket, and immediately, an annoyed look came across her face.
"Leave me alone." Charmcaster sternly told her, but Gwen wasn't having it.
"Ha! If I left you alone, it's debatable if you even would've woken up!" Gwen mocked, while possibly exaggerating Charmaster's condition, but nevertheless, she would continue with, "That's some way to thank the person who's responsible for healing you a bit."
Charmcaster loudly groaned at this entire thing. Currently, she's thinking she would've been better off as roadkill, instead of being in this considerably dreadful situation. To add insult to injury, Gwen actually helped her? That can't be. It just can't be.
"Why in the world would you heal me, anyway? As a matter of fact, how and why am I here in the first place?" Charmcaster brought up, making Gwen roll her eyes.
"You're the one that looked all beat up on the road. And trust me, I would've preferred to leave you there, but Ben was so insistent on helping you that it made Grandpa get on board with this helping you nonsense." Gwen explained, adding, "And as for why I healed you, Ben constantly annoying me to help you is the reason why I did that. After a while, I mainly wanted him to shut up."
Finishing her explanation, Charmcaster would simplify it. "Basically, what you're trying to say is you healed me for him, but not for me."
"Bingo." Gwen replied, sarcastically clapping in response to Charmcaster successfully simplifying everything.
"And then what? They left you here to guard me or something?" inquired Charmcaster, making Gwen point outside.
"First of all, they're outside setting up camp. And second of all, believe it or not, I volunteered to keep an eye on you, just to make sure you're not planning anything funny." Saying this, a sly smirk would appear on Gwen's face. "Oh, and if you were planning anything funny, it would give me an excuse to hit you, so there's that."
Charmcaster laughed at Gwen's statement. "Why wait for something like that? I'm right here. By all means, you're free to hit me if you want to." Then, a purple aura would slowly appear around Charmcaster, as a pause would happen in between her sentence.
"But I warn you, if you do hit me, then I just have to let you know… I hit back."
"Is that so?" replied Gwen, as a blue aura started to appear around her.
"I know so." retorted Charmcaster. She still wasn't in the condition to fight at all, but she can talk a big game, especially when it comes to Gwen.
"Oh brother!" Ben exclaimed, entering the Rustbucket and catching near the end of Charmcaster's and Gwen's friendly conversation. "Don't you guys think the last thing this Rustbucket needs is some magical catfight?"
"Stay out of this!" Gwen and Charmcaster said in unison, turning around to look at Ben to specifically say that. Ben wouldn't take too kindly to this, though, but he would ultimately reply with logic.
"Look, if you two wanna settle your score, could you do it at literally ANY other time?!" Ben shouted, now looking directly at Gwen. "Gwen, you should know better! You already know how mad Grandpa would be if you fought in his RV!"
Now, to give Charmcaster a piece of his mind.
"As for you, Charmcaster, I personally don't think a 3 on 1 fight would go too well for you, considering that you still need to recover your strength!"
Finally, he looked at both of them.
"So, if you guys wanna do something so incredibly stupid, and trust me, I would know when something is stupid," Ben paused, acknowledging that he has self-awareness in his own stupidity, "then both of you are risking all the things I mentioned!"
Gwen and Charmcaster were… Well, it's safe to say they were shocked at Ben's words. Keep in mind, Ben was still 10 years old at the time, and there's been many times where he's been immature during this summer vacation. But now, whether or not it was due to all the craziness happening during this summer vacation, Ben was actually speaking with… dare I say it, logic?
Oh dear, what has the world come to?
Gwen had to break the silence. "Yep, my doofus cousin is telling me to not do something stupid." This wasn't an insult. Rather, it was acknowledgement that what Ben was saying was 100 percent right. Clearly, she's not used to his growing maturity yet. "Welp, I've hit a new low in life. I think I'll just help Grandpa set up camp." This was her way of admitting defeat, not wanting to deal with Charmcaster anymore and went outside. Although, she didn't completely leave. She stood right beside the Rustbucket, trying to be nosy and overhear the upcoming conversation between Ben and Charmcaster.
Ben sighed deeply, as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. He would stay like this in silence for a few moments, before Charmcaster decided to break the silence.
"You guys shouldn't have saved me, ya know." Charmcaster told Ben. "It's only a matter of time before Gwen and I do blow something up. I don't know why you would expect anything different."
Ben knew he had to clarify. "I don't expect anything different when it comes to you two. But what I do know is regardless of what you think about us saving you, the truth is, we couldn't leave you to die."
"You couldn't leave me to die." Charmcaster said, knowing this was all Ben's idea. "Your Grandpa may have agreed to help, but from what I've heard, it's because you never stopped bugging him. And when it comes to Gwen, do I even need to explain our mess?" she pointed out, still looking at Ben. "Anything, heck, death would be better than this."
Ben listened to Charmcaster's words, but her last point, while understanding where she was coming from due to their deep conversation during the battle in Miami, it still wouldn't sit well with him. "Charmcaster… I'm only trying to help you. What else was I supposed to do? I… We couldn't leave you there." Ben caught himself saying I a lot, and for this to work, he figured it would be better if he said 'we.'
Though, Charmcaster immediately caught on.
"There's no point in trying to act like your family wanted to help me. Once again, I know this was all your doing."
"But does it change anything?"
Charmcaster raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean does it change anything?"
"I don't think you've ever had anybody truly try to help you before. I've said it to my family, and I'll say it to you. I know there's good inside you."
Charmcaster would scoff at this notion. "I don't need your pity, nor do I want it." she told Ben, her tone being serious. "And you're only saying I have good inside me because we were forced to go on an adventure together. Nothing more."
Ben had a disagreeing nod. "No, that's not it." he told her. "It's not the adventure itself that makes me say there's good inside you. It's what you did on that adventure that makes me say something like that." he honestly said, catching Charmcaster's attention. "You saved me on that adventure, remember?"
"So?" Charmcaster replied, but now, there were signs of denial. Subtle, but they were there. "I only saved you since it offered the best chance at getting out of there."
BGM: Yu Yu Hakusho Unreleased Track #47 - Kanashimi No Jikai Yokoku Instrumental (A/N: Please play this theme, lol)
Ben crossed his arms. "That may have been part of the reason, but if you were completely heartless, you wouldn't have helped me at all." He wasn't done. "It's not about pity or anything like that. I guess… I guess what I'm trying to say is when we didn't know how long we were going to be stuck together, but you ended up helping me anyway, that one gesture gave me… hope."
Unknowingly, Ben said Charmcaster's actual name, which made the girl's eyes widen. She's never heard about somebody else saying she gave them hope. But here goes Ben Tennyson, just spitting out nonsense like he always does.
Or was it really nonsense?
Ben wasn't done talking, though.
"That hope you gave me… it encouraged me to keep going. Because of you, I remained hopeful." Ben explained, meaning every word he said. "I've learned if you don't have hope, then there's literally nothing to look forward to. There's nothing pushing a person to keep going, to live, to hold on. No matter how bleak a situation may look, hope is something that can drive us to live another day. And since you gave me hope, all I want to do is do the same for you."
Ending on that note, it's safe to say that Charmcaster was left absolutely left speechless at Ben's speech. The explanation of hope, and how hope can help a person, all of this was hitting her hard. The truth is, even though her actual name is literally Hope, she hasn't had hope in a long, long time. Her hope has been replaced by anger and despair due to everything that's happened in her life. It's why she chooses to close herself up when it comes to speaking on emotional topics.
But here goes Ben Tennyson, the nerve of this kid that's ever growing in wisdom by the freaking day, saying that she gave him hope, the one thing she doesn't have. To her, it doesn't make any sense. It's frustrating her to no end. Ben is confusing. He's confusing her. This isn't how things are supposed to go.
There was an extended silence from Charmcaster. She had no idea how to reply to this. Heck, does she need to reply to this? Her mind is all outta wack, currently. Well, it usually is, but it's really prominent this time.
Ben realized he said a lot, so now, he would give Charmcaster her space. On the outside of the Rustbucket, Gwen was stunned by what she heard. Once again, when did her doofus cousin get all this maturity? I mean, she knows growing up is a thing, but it's really something when you witness it first-hand.
This whole thing makes her want to improve as a person.
And in turn, regardless of her own personal feelings about Charmcaster, she figured that she could do her own form of growing up by following Ben's lead. Specifically, this means she'll try to help Charmcaster too.
Oh boy, where did it all go wrong?
Ben began to walk away, but not before saying this last thing to Charmcaster. "I'll be outside with Gwen and Grandpa. You're welcome to join us... if you want to, of course." As Ben said this, Gwen quickly got away from the Rustbucket to make it look like she wasn't being nosy. Going outside, Ben didn't notice a thing.
This left Charmcaster alone, and eventually, she closed her eyes and began to cry.
END OF CHAPTER 6: BACK TO THE PAST PART 2
BGM: BEN 10 CREDITS 2005
Kevin: Man! This story is getting good! Tell me more, Gwen!
Gwen: I would prefer if I stopped telling the story here, actually…
Ben: The plot calls for drama!
Charmcaster: I have enough drama in my life!
Next time on Can You Stand The Rain!
Back to the Past Part 3
Charmcaster: The author doesn't listen to me!
Grandpa Max: Wait a minute, how come I didn't get any lines in this chapter?!
Author's Note: I did it, y'all. I freaking did it. This story has finally been UPDATED. I'm relieved. No, this story is not dead. How did you guys like this chapter, though? Hopefully, I wasn't too rusty. Part 3 might be a little more lighthearted, so that should be fun. Oh, one thing before I go. Do I have any Dragon Ball Z fans reading this story? If you do like DBZ, then I've recently made a fanfic called Dragon Ball Z: Second Journey. If you guys favorite and follow that story, I'll try to update this story as quick as I possibly can. That's my deal to y'all. I have a lot of cool ideas for that one, so if you're interested in DBZ, be sure to check it out.
BUT BEFORE YOU DO THAT, if you guys liked this chapter of the Ben 10 fanfic, make sure to follow and favorite this fic! DON'T FORGET TO READ AND REVIEW! See ya guys next time!