Life's Blessing 2

2. Plua

They landed smack in the center of Ben's living room with a shockwave strong enough to make the pictures rattle on the wall. Kevin was forced to dive to the side to avoid having Ben land on top of him.

"Warning would be nice Benji!" Ben just shrugged.

"I wasn't exactly the one steering. Besides, who expects someone to stand right in the middle of the room for no reason?" Kevin went slightly red.

"Who expects someone to pop in from nowhere?!" Ben shrugged again.

"In our line of work, you should know that's possible. How many times has someone teleported in on us? Or teleported us?" He tuned out Kevin's sputtering as he took in the sight of everyone else sitting on the couch and raised an eyebrow at the sight of what looked like shards of pinkish glass floating over Verdona's head. Verdona shook her head.

"Couldn't fix it or get rid of it for some reason. That lady that was with you really did a number on it." Ben frowned.

"So you were watching me." The group shared a look. "It didn't occur to you to ask what I was doing? It's not like I have any more secrets." He grinned slightly at the mixture of humor and annoyance on Verdona's face and held up the Mana gem. "How do I work this?" Serena floated closer.

"The safest way is to hold it up and blow on it dear. Just focus on wanting it to work." Belicus noted his expression.

"It's the same thing you felt when you removed the Xenocyte from that woman, genius." Ben's expression cleared.

He held the gem up, vaguely hearing Serena rebuke Belicus for the genius comment, and blew gently on it. Light sparkled across the surface and rose slowly into the air in tiny specks. The specks clustered together before exploding in a blinding flash. When the spots faded from his vision, Ben found the woman from the park floating less than an inch away and staring him straight in the eye. He took an involuntary step back in surprise. The woman just laughed.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." She paused. "Well, not much anyway." She turned and regarded Kevin and everyone on the couch.  "I sense blood relation from all of them, but he doesn't match at all." She pointed an arm at Kevin as she said the last part. Ben smiled very slightly at the somewhat indignant expression Kevin had.

"It's okay. I trust him." The woman gazed at him. "Them too." He added, pointing at Serena and Belicus. The woman snorted.

"As if I could do anything to them by myself. Alright then, if you're sure you trust him." Ben scowled.

"I'm sure." The woman raised her hands.

"Okay, Okay! I suppose you want some answers." Ben crossed his arms.

"That would be nice." The woman grinned.

"Let's start with my name. I am known as Plua, both by name and race." She paused and turned as Verdona drew in a sharp breath. "You got it anodyte." She turned back to Ben. "I am the Mana of Darkness. My power is the balance to light and draws and controls the embodiment of the opposites that reside within everyone. If you are evil, the darkness in your soul is good, and vice versa." She smiled. "The job's really not as bad as it sounds; there are a few physical aspects to it too. Literal darkness for example." Gwen straightened up.

"Wait. You're mana? mana's just energy." Plua's expression turned slightly irritated as she rotated to face Gwen fully.

"No." She said flatly. "I am a Mana." She said, somehow stressing the capitalization of the last word. "I, like all Mana, help to regulate the flow of the elements, which as a whole is called mana." The way she pronounced it, mana came out sounding like mah-nah, while Mana sounded like man-uh. "There's a rather large difference dearie." She looked up and spotted the ruins of Verdona's viewer floating. Looking supremely unconcerned at Gwen's slightly offended expression, she waved one arm. The pink shards whirled through the air and came to a dead stop in front of her. Plua waved her arm again, and the viewer was suddenly whole again. It disappeared with a pop when Verdona clicked her fingers. Plua turned back to Ben again.

"Anyway, that's the basic job of a Mana. There's a lot more to it than that, but usually only our leaders need to worry about the big stuff. We regulate elements just by existing. The rest of the little things are learned as needed." Ben frowned.

"Little things?" Plua grinned.

"Making our power manifest, flight for those who can, that sort of thing." Kevin crossed his arms.

"What's all that got to do with him?" Plua snorted.

"Would you like to turn into a Mana and not know anything about it?" Her tone was slightly condescending. Everyone stared at her like she'd grown another head. "Well he isn't one just yet, but he'll be one on his birthday. It's in his blood." Ben's mother spoke up for the first time.

"What do you mean it's in his blood? I've never seen any sign of magic or mana or whatever it is, and I think I'd have noticed if he started to look like you." Plua faced Sandra fully and clasped her hands in front of her.

"With all due respect, I highly doubt it." Her tone was surprisingly sincere in its politeness. "First of all, he isn't from my race, so he'd never look like me. Secondly, Mana powers don't manifest in human recipients until just before they make a full transformation." Plua's eyes suddenly lit up with an eerie black light. She swept her gaze over Ben and turned back, the light fading. "By the looks of things, he should have gained his power ten years ago." Verdona narrowed her eyes.

"Why didn't he?" Plua started to shrug, but stopped and leaned back, apparently remembering something.

"I remember now. We all thought five was far too young to go through such a drastic change, so we decided to wait until he turned ten or eleven. But when we checked on him then, it seemed like his powers had vanished. That was especially worrisome to us since your anodyte powers should have been developed enough to manifest by then." She smiled. "Now I can see what happened. It seems that your Mana AND anodyte powers were being devoted solely to powering the Omnitrix, a device that supposedly had its own power source." She giggled at Ben's expression. "Oh yes, we knew about what you and that device were called." Ben shook his head.

"Not that. I remember Vilgax saying once that the Omnitrix had bonded itself to my DNA or something." Plua nodded.

"Even I know of the Omnitrix. We Mana followed your adventures quite closely when you first donned it Ben." She frowned. "We were hoping to find out why your powers had seemed to disappear so suddenly. We eventually figured it out, but there wasn't anything we could do. The Omnitrix had quite literally become a part of you. Removing it would have been like removing an arm. It would have been both painful and life threatening to try." Kevin raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you come when he got it off?" Plua glanced down, looking embarrassed.

"His power had been drained. We decided to wait a few years for him to build it back up. We weren't expecting it to come back full force nearly instantly." She smiled ruefully. "None of us had any idea he would recharge his power so quickly. By the time anyone realized what was going on with him, we were in too much trouble to do anything about it." She was looking very grim. "The Highbreed know about us." Ben sat in a recliner with a thump.

"How could they know? I mean, I had no clue you guys even existed." Plua sighed.

"They learned about us by accident. You see, they caught a human that works with us." She shuddered. "It turns out those slimy tentacle things do more than just transform their victims." She wiggled her fingers in a fair imitation of the Xenocyte's usual peculiar gait. "They read the memories and thoughts of the people they capture and relay it to their masters." Kevin straightened up.

"So they suddenly knew what you were capable of and wanted it for themselves." Plua nodded.

"I'm afraid so. They've started laying traps for Mana, and many of us have already been caught." She paused. "We may be able to protect our thoughts and memories from that tentacle thing, but the humans we work with can't." Ben's father frowned.

"Do they know about what Ben is?" Plua sat back in the air, thinking hard. Ben noticed for the first time that she had what looked like a trail of greenish smoke swirling from the bottom of her dress, giving the impression that she was perched on a cyclone.

Finally Plua leaned forward and said, "I don't think so. None of the humans we associate with have been privy to that information as far as I know, and we Mana are fully capable of defending our minds against those tentacle things, even if we can't stop them from transforming us."

"They're called Xenocytes." Ben said. Plua snorted.

"They're nasty whatever name they have. Unfortunately though, once the Highbreed discover Ben's heritage, there's going to be real trouble." She sighed again, sounding somewhat weary. "Those Xenocytes transform us into those creatures. The catch is that while we Mana are still quite aware, we can't do anything about it. We're just passengers. Our bodies still have our powers though, so the Highbreed have them at their disposal. It's a grim situation." Gwen raised an eyebrow.

"And you can't do anything about it?" Plua snorted.

"Did I say that? Of course we're doing something about it. The problem is that the Highbreed are being surprisingly covert. I think it's because they still haven't caught any of the two Mana they want most. Of course, it's a good thing for us that the two they want are among the most rare Mana in existence. With so few of them, the Mana chiefs are doing everything they can to keep them safe." She clapped her hands together suddenly, making everyone else jump. "Speaking of the chiefs, I'm supposed to take you to meet them Ben!" He sat up straight.

"Why?" Plua laughed.

"Any human who gains Mana heritage goes to meet them." Her laughter degenerated into a giggle before stopping. "It's very rare for humans to gain access to their heritage you see. Mana powers have a tendency to skip generations at random in humans, your heritage in particular." Ben frowned.

"So I'm going to be part Mana, part human, and part anodyte?" Plua shook her head.

"No. you will be full Mana and part human and part anodyte. With Mana power it's all or nothing. You will be a Mana through and through, but you'll still be part human and part anodyte. It's a little too difficult for me to explain. Just take my word for it that you'll be Mana first and anything else later." Ben shot a look at Serena. She did the equivalent of a shrug. He looked back at Plua.

"What kind of Mana am I?" Plua bit her lip.

"I'm afraid that's not for me to say." Plua held up her hands as Ben glared at her. "I'm sorry! It's part of a non interference treaty among all Mana. Some Mana have a less than stellar reputation in history and others are just misunderstood. When humans and humanoid races gain their power, a Mana representative goes to meet them and explain things. With the treaty, any other Mana that meet up with the receiver have to play by the rules of the representative. That way the receiver doesn't have too much undue influence." Verdona quirked an eyebrow.

"Is that really that much of a problem?" Plua nodded.

"You'd be surprised. We've had several famous cases where the recipients have killed themselves because of all the negative things they hear." She waved a hand in dismissal. "But enough about that. The Mana that came to you is completely trustworthy and he can help you much better than I can, so we'll worry about that later. Right now though, the chiefs are waiting." She waved an arm, causing black electricity to crackle out of her sleeve and blast into a wall. The energy formed into a gigantic black rectangle that seemed to flicker for a moment before a swirling gray fog appeared inside of it.

Plua gestured at it. "Walk on through if you don't mind." She turned to everyone else. "You may as well see this since you've heard so much already." She turned and swooped over to the portal, coming to a stop next to Ben, who was staring at the fog apprehensively.  With a giggle, she grabbed his arm and dragged him in.

They landed with a thump on what looked very much like a storm cloud. Ben struggled to his feet as they shot upwards through the fog. "Where are we?" Plua floated up to his eye level.

"This is a transition area. It exists between realms and connects the Land of Mana to them. The Land of Mana is the origin of all Mana." Ben just nodded and focused on keeping his balance. The cloud was providing a very unsettling ride.

He frowned when he thought of something. "Plua?" She turned to him. "How did you end up in the park?" She blinked.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. The last thing I really remember is that Xeno-thingy latching on to me. Everything after that is blurry, like I was looking out a foggy window. The only thing that I remember clearly is you approaching me with the Omnitrix, followed by a lot of green light." Ben was silent for a moment.

Finally he said, "You showed up less than five minutes after that guy left. My representative, or whatever he is. Maybe he brought you there." He paused and then added, "They're called Xenocytes." Plua rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I suppose it's possible he teleported me there, but why would he bother to do that when he's quite capable of freeing me himself?" Ben shrugged.

"Maybe he didn't want to give himself away." Plua nodded.

"There is that possibility." She smiled. "If nothing else, it proves just how strong a Mana you're going to be. It normally takes members of your race years to get the degree of control over that ability that you exercised back there." Ben shook his head.

"The Omnitrix is what does it, not me." Plua gave him a look.

"It was you that did it. I felt your Mana power." She laced her fingers together looking pensive. After a few minutes she spoke. "I personally think that the Omnitrix bonding to you may have been a very fortunate occurrence. You seem to have more power than most Mana I've ever seen, but it's very well controlled. You were strong enough to get your transformation at age five, though we held off. By age ten, your powers would have had time to grow much stronger, since Mana power growth doesn't peak for several decades. At the age of ten though, your body wouldn't be able to contain its power without constant supervision to help keep it in check." Ben blinked.

"What would have happened if it wasn't contained?" Plua's response made him feel like he had been doused in ice water.

"You would have been obliterated, as would even the weakest of the weak Mana. The sheer power any Mana channels is enormous. You channel so much of it that it think you would have taken quite a bit with you though. By bonding to you and stealing your powers to charge itself, the Omnitrix could very well have saved your life." Ben shivered, having no response to this chilling statement. "Oh look!" Plua said brightly. "We're here! Those are the Mana chiefs up ahead!"

Ben looked to where she was pointing. He could easily make out four figures. The tallest was blue as the ocean, and looked to be made from it too. She had a bright red jewel on her forehead and her expression was gentle. Her arms appeared to be large fins of some kind. He could just barely see bubbles floating through her body at odd intervals. The creature next to her was a sharp contrast. Made entirely from flames, he was about the size of a bowling ball, though he seemed like an ant next to the water being. His head was a teardrop shaped flame plunked on two fiery wings that he was flapping in much the same manner as a butterfly, giving the overall impression of a fire burning without a source in the air. As they got closer, he was able to see that the being's features were the color of charcoal and were set into a slightly bored expression.

Behind the fire creature was something that Ben thought was a flat boulder. Until it stood up on four elephant like legs and turned to face him and Plua. From this angle, he could see a very aged looking face that looked as though it had been carved from the stone, a large broken horn situated directly above the nose.  Next to the stone being was one of the most peculiar creatures Ben had ever seen. It was only a little shorter than the water creature in front of it. It had what looked very much like a tribal mask for a face, complete with painted patterns. It had two long tree like legs attached to a somewhat round body. Instead of arms however, it had an enormous pair of wings. The feathers flexed much like fingers.

The cloud landed in front of the four creatures and disappeared. If Plua hadn't caught him with a strand of black energy, Ben would have fallen flat on his back from the sudden change. The four beings in front of him stared at him unblinkingly. Plua smacked him in the back surreptitiously. "Bow to show them respect!" She hissed. Ben quickly ducked into a short bow. He straightened up to find the water being less than three inches from him, having moved very fast in the time it took him to bow and rise. Only a supreme effort kept him from stepping backwards. She looked him over and smiled.

"Glad to see someone with a little courage is receiving their heritage. Most people scream and jump when I do that." Her voice was soft and had a strange echo to it that Ben eventually realized was what was giving him the impression she was speaking underwater. He opened his mouth but she went on without waiting for a reply. "We are the Mana chiefs. I am the Chief of Water." She gestured at the fiery creature. "That is the Chief of Fire." The little creature nodded to them. The Water Chief pointed a fin at the four legged boulder. "That is the Chief of Stone, or Earth if you prefer." The Stone Chief grinned at them, which intensified the craggy look on his face. Finally she pointed at the odd totem-like creature behind her. "This is the Chief of Wind." The Wind Chief flapped his wings once, creating a rather large gust of wind that sent Ben and Plua's hair flying. The Water Chief rose into the air and glided back to her original spot.

"Come forward so that we may all examine you." After a second Ben stepped forward, stopping when the Fire Chief shot up and spun around him at a dizzying speed. The little creature was moving so quickly that he blurred into a solid line of flame. Ben blinked several times to clear away the after images when it stopped. The little fireball of a face hovered level with Ben's nose before it zipped backwards.

"Oh, yeah! We definitely got a live on here!" His flames changed to a curious set of angles as he spoke. After a moment Ben realized that the chief was doing the equivalent of putting his fists on his hips. His voice crackled a little like the fire he was made of, though it was a surprisingly deep. Since he was still floating, Ben assumed the flapping wings were just for show. Plua confirmed this a moment later, whispering that the sheer heat was what kept him in the air. The Earth Chief was very quick to reply.

"I should think he's alive. I don't see why Plua would bring us a dead human." His voice was low and gravelly, but perfectly understandable. The Fire Chief sighed and opened his mouth, but subsided when the Water Chief shook her head and mouthed something to him. The Earth Chief ignored them both. "You come into your power at a very dangerous time for all Mana, human child. But perhaps that is to everyone's benefit." The Wind Chief nodded.

"At a time when the Highbreed are searching for experienced and full grown Mana, a fledgling may just escape their notice." The Wind Chief's voice took Ben by surprise. It sounded quite human, though there was a slight accent that he couldn't identify. Ben had been expecting something much less normal. The Wind Chief flapped his wings once. "We don't know the entirety off their goals, but we cannot allow them to continue unchallenged." Ben opened his mouth, but the Water Chief beat him to it.

"We know of your guerilla tactics with the Omnitrix against the Highbreed, and while they are effective, they are not enough to turn the tide against them at the present time. We need a more concerted effort. Even fueled by your power, the Omnitrix alone cannot fix the damages that Earth has acquired by the captures of the Mana that help sustain it." Ben narrowed his eyes.

"So you think it was the Omnitrix that caused me to lose my power." It was more of a statement than a question. It was the Stone Chief who answered.

"We have heard Plua's opinion and it is precisely the same as our own. At the age of ten, your power level far exceeded that of any other Mana that age. And it was still growing." The Wind Chief nodded.

"At that age however, your body would not be able to house that power without constant help, regardless of whether the Mana power was active or not. One slip-up would be all it would take for it to break free, and it would have taken out considerably more than just yourself. You were almost always near a place that augments Mana power. Even the smallest of boosts makes a big difference when it's uncontrolled." The Water Chief waved a fin idly.

"The Omnitrix probably bound itself to you to protect both you and it from destruction. We had that theory reinforced when we heard how much it could destroy if its self-destruct went off. By using your excess Mana powers to charge itself, it kept you safe from yourself, and by using your anodyte power to stabilize and regulate the energy flow it ensured the safety of both of you." She paused and added, "It seems the most likely reason you survived without any other aid. It discovered the problem and took steps to remedy it." Ben frowned.

"Wait, You're making it sound like it can think for itself. It can't can it?" The Fire Chief rose to his eye level.

"We have suspected for some time now that the Omnitrix holds some semblance of sentient ability. It can clearly act for itself once verbal commands are given to it. It also is obviously able to formulate answers on its own. We have seen proof of both of those when you used it to change back your cousin some time ago, and Plua earlier today." He raised a tongue of flame like a hand when Ben started to speak. "I don't mean that it's completely sentient, just to a point. It can't think for itself the way you or I can, or if it can, it keeps quiet about it. The best description would be that it has a strong sense of preservation." Ben half-smiled.

"Azmuth did say that he created the Omnitrix as a means of making ties with races all across the galaxy. Maybe this is part of it." The Water Chief nodded.

"Perhaps. It is mystery to us for the most part." She frowned suddenly, and in a very dry voice said, "It's no mystery to us that it will most likely be as difficult to remove this time as it was when you last wore it." She shrugged and in her normal voice said, "It may just allow you to remove it once IT deems you to be safe without it. Who can say?" She waved a fin in dismissal. "Enough about that. We should talk to you about the real reason we called you here." Ben frowned and thought for a second.

"You said Earth itself is damaged." The Water Chief nodded.

"Without enough Mana to help regulate the flow, the elements have been thrown out of balance. If they aren't fixed soon, planet Earth will perish. Very few of the elements can be regulated by a single Mana, the rest require a fairly large number to do it effectively." She made a gesture with her left fin, causing a water ball to fly out and expand to float in the air. The surface shimmered for a moment before it turned completely black.

Ben watched it for several moments and blinked when sparks of light suddenly peppered the darkness, rather like a curtain sweeping aside. He realized he was looking at the night sky. The Fire Chief spoke up. "This happened when you set Plua free. With her away from the Xenocyte's control, there were enough dark Mana to put the night sky to rights." He frowned. "Unfortunately things are much worse than a lack of starry nights." The Stone Chief nodded.

"Earth is already dying. It is slow to be sure, but it is dying all the same. In certain places the sun doesn't shine at all during the day, nothing but clouds to see. The Highbreed have been very successful in capturing many fire Mana as well. Without them to ensure the flow of heat, and without the sun to give its own warmth, Earth will freeze." Ben felt the icy shiver come back full blast.

"Can't the Mana all hide here where the Highbreed can't get them? Why go to Earth at all?" The Wind Chief shook his head.

"To properly control the elements, Mana must go to Earth form time to time. It's quite impossible to work out large problems from this great a distance. If it were, we would have already done so." His expression never changed, reminding Ben very strongly of Belicus. The Water Chief drew his attention by causing the bubble to burst loudly.

"The situation isn't as critical as it sounds right now." She smiled slightly. "For the most part, it will be a slow process. However, it is pressing that fire and light Mana be set free soon. The world needs the sun, and without the fire Mana, the planet could freeze from the inside out. We can only preserve the current condition of the planet for so long. We must find the captured Mana and set them free." She leveled her gaze at him. "You have the power and the control necessary to accomplish such a feat. If we discover any captured Mana, they will be sent your way. With prior warning of course." She spread her arms wide. "For now, the most we can do is unlock a few of your powers." She waved her arms in an oddly fluid motion. A ray of blue light lanced out and hit Ben head on. He shuddered as a strange wave of something seemed to pass over him. The Water Chief lowered her arms looking satisfied. "Unlocking your Mana senses is the most we can do. You will need your gift for the rest." The Fire Chief nodded.

"In addition to your main element, you also have some power over fire, though not to the extent of a fire Mana. When you fully gain your power tomorrow, you will automatically begin to regulate any elements you can control within your range. We will make certain your representative informs you on how to do it consciously."  The Stone Chief cracked a grin.

"Though you may not need all that much instruction. It seems the Omnitrix is capable of activating and controlling some of your powers for you. It drew on your power to set Plua free once you approved it. My best guess would be that it created a few links directly to some of your abilities, the ones you would need the most." The Wind Chief flapped his wings once.

"We are glad to have met you. Having you on our side will greatly help us." The Water Chief spread her fin-like arms wide.

"We will see you again after you have gained your power, but for now we would like to wish you the best of luck on your life ahead." She paused. "And your life-mate's too come to think of it, when and if you find them. Until tomorrow, Benjamin." The cloud reformed and lifted them up and away before Ben could say anything to her.

As the strange gray fog formed around them, Ben turned to Plua. "What did she mean life-mate?" Plua giggled.

"Every Mana has someone somewhere that completes them, that is their other half, just as humans do. You don't have to be with that person any more than humans have to be with theirs, but just remember that while you can find happiness with others, only with your life-mate will you truly find happiness and satisfaction." Ben frowned.

"So I have to find this life-mate? How will I know when I find her?" Plua smiled.

"You don't HAVE to find them and I didn't say they were a her. It could be anyone, male or female; it's the same deal for humans. As for how you'll know…" She shrugged. "You just will. I can't really explain it. Just know that you will know without a doubt when you've found them. The only thing I know for sure is that your life-mate will never be a member of your family, and is never someone who you are physically incompatible with." She shrugged again. "The best advice I can give you is to just be yourself and let things happen as they will. Actively pursuing someone never works well." Ben stared at her.

"So it could be anyone at all? " Plua raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I suppose so." She said slowly. She hurried on at the look on his face. "But like I said, you don't have to be with them. You could just as easily be with someone else, even if you are technically settling for less." She paused, looking slightly relieved as Ben's expression cleared. "I must say, you're taking all this much better than most do." He quirked an eyebrow. "Most people take a lot of convincing from the Mana chiefs before they'll even begin to stop thinking we're all a bunch of raving lunatics." Ben's other eyebrow joined the first.

"I've seen plenty of crazy things already, but this just about takes the cake." It was Plua's turn to raise her eyebrows. "You know this is all a little hard to take at face value right?  I mean, come on! I fight alien thugs on an almost daily basis. I can turn into a fire wielding monster and some kind of ice moth whenever I want. I consider my life right now to just about the definition of crazy!" Plua floated backwards quickly as he started gesturing rather wildly.  "Now I find out that I'm some kind of elemental creature that no one's allowed to tell me about, the Earth is dying, and the Highbreed are well aware of all of you and are the direct cause of the problem! And that's not even mentioning the Omnitrix and this "life-mate" business! This is beyond crazy! This is insanity incarnate! Is it too much to ask for a little decent proof?!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "Next you'll tell me Mana don't have blood or something." Plua slowly floated back in range.

After a minute she said, "I will not deny that you have definitely received the short end of the stick in regards to information on your heritage. If it weren't for the treaty, I'd tell you everything myself. As for proof, if you mean proof of what I am and what you are, I can do that." She paused then added, "Mana have green blood just like humans." Ben blinked.

"Humans have red blood." Plua smiled, this time looking somewhat secretive.

"You won't." Ben stared at her blankly.
Finally he shook his head. "I'm not even gonna ask." Plua's smile widened into a smirk.

"Then I won't tell you. I'm sure you'll find out eventually anyway, all Mana do." She moved on before he could respond. "Now then, about some decent proof…" She flipped her voluminous sleeve back, exposing her hand and proceeded to roll it up her arm. Black light crackled across her fingers briefly. "I suppose you're feeling a strange buzzing sensation in the back of your head right now?" Ben nodded warily. Plua's smirk turned downright scary. She swooped down and grabbed Ben's hand in hers. "How about now?" Ben went cross-eyed as the buzzing seemed to magnify explosively in his head.

"My head feels like an army firing range!" He clutched at his hair. Plua nodded and released him. Ben sighed as the buzzing faded back to its previous level. "What was that?!" He started rubbing his forehead, trying to clear away the headache that was brewing. Plua leaned back looking satisfied.

"THAT was what you feel when you're around another Mana. It only magnifies like that when you're awareness is forced, like I just did. The rest of the time it's fairly quiet, and for the most part, easy to ignore." She frowned. "It won't take much for you to learn how to deal with it, but I wouldn't recommend ignoring it, at least, not right now. It could be your only warning that you're facing a captured Mana." Ben sighed.

"Okay look, I'm sorry I snapped like that. You didn't deserve it. It's just… a lot to take in, and it does sound more than a little crazy no matter how you look at it. But… you've convinced me." Plua nodded.

"It's alright. I was wondering when you'd go off anyway. That was the strangest inheritance meeting I've attended with the Mana chiefs to date." She gave him a rather resigned smile and shook her head. "You must understand, you're a rather special case. You're a rare Mana, and long overdue for your powers to be freed. You have one of the most powerful and dangerous devices in existence strapped to your wrist, and have worn it before, yet still managed to retain your innocence and use it only for good. This same device bonded to you before and saved your life along with possibly many others, making it impossible for anyone to remove it, meaning that it was subject to the whims of you and you alone." Her smile widened into a smirk. "You are uniquely special in that you still are yourself and not some power crazed madman like Vilgax was. I think very few people in existence could resist the allure that the Omnitrix presents, but you did." Ben flushed slightly and looked down for a moment. Plua's smirk faded into a kind smile. "Any other questions?"

Ben looked up. "Just one. You said that the Highbreed found out about you because they captured a human that worked with you. How many humans work with you?" Plua frowned.

"Not all that many actually. I think it was about twelve last time I checked. Mind you, a fair number of humans know of our existence even if they don't work with us."

"Like who?" Plua bit her lip.

"Well, there's the ruler of Belkhyde, Queen Audrey, though everyone calls her Fee. Belkhyde is the land where most of the Mana reside when they aren't in the Land of Mana. Actually, most people in Belkhyde know about Mana, but they can't go to Earth like we can, so it isn't a problem. There are some people on Earth that know about us though."

"Oh?" She nodded.

"Yes. Let me think…AH! England's royal family is aware of us, and so is the White House. Seeing the expression Ben was giving her, she said, "Henry the Eighth discovered us when he had a Mana relative attend one of his weddings. As for the White House, they were let in on the secret during the Truman administration's restoration of the mansion. They unearthed a Stone Mana when they were excavating new rooms." She smiled reminiscently. "I actually got to be part of the group that went to meet President Truman and explain things to him. We all liked him and his straightforwardness. He was a good man." She shook herself. "Anyway, the secret has been passed from president to president and through the staff of England's palaces ever since they found out about us." She frowned. "There's one more human that knows about us, or did know about us, depending on how you view it." Ben looked at her somewhat guarded expression.

"Who?" Plua took a very deep breath.

"Max Tennyson." Ben jerked his head up to stare at her. Plua shook her head. "He knew more about us than some of the people that worked with us, and that's saying something all on its own. I did my best to stay well away from him after our first meeting." Ben narrowed his eyes at her.

"You knew grandpa?" Plua let out a rather inelegant snort.

"Knew is a bit strong. I think it would be more accurate to say we've met." She clasped her hands together. "You see, I was to be your representative the first time around. When you were five I mean. I think you may be able to remember it if you concentrate hard. I only spoke with you for about ten minutes before I suddenly found myself at gunpoint." Ben blinked.

"Grandpa pulled a gun on you?" Plua waved a hand.

"Well it was a null-void projector really. It wouldn't have done all that much good since a Mana's powers will literally act as a tether to Earth, but traveling there is very unpleasant when it's not under your own power and it takes most Mana days to regain enough control over their powers to pull themselves out, myself included. Anyway, he seemed to think I was a rouge alien at first, and he didn't hesitate to try to get me away from you. He finally started listening to me when I fried his projector and hung him upside down from the ceiling." Ben felt his eyebrows shoot up.

"You got the best of grandpa?" His tone was very disbelieving. Plua smirked.

"It helps when you can put out the lights at a whim. Most people can't hit something they can't see. We had a nice little chat I suppose. I explained what I was and why I was there. Your grandfather didn't take too well to the idea of you changing at such a young age, though I think it may have had more to do with the fact that no one in your family would have a clue how to take care of you." She frowned. "I could tell he wasn't thrilled at the prospect of you having to leave entirely. At your age, you weren't developed enough mentally to control your powers. It would have taken round the clock Mana supervision to keep them in check, which meant you would have had to leave your family." Ben crossed his arms.

"So what happened then? Did you just leave?" Plua shook her head.

"I asked the Mana Chiefs what to do. It was one of the few times they've ever come to Earth itself. In the end we agreed to wait a little while and check on you again later. Although that was only on the condition that your grandfather keep an eye on you and let us know if your powers started to get out of hand. After that particular meeting, he started looking up anything he could find on us, and he found out quite a bit. Therefore, it behooved us to find out about his occupation. We'd already known about the null-void for centuries but the tech was new." Ben blinked as he remembered something.

"I called you Maid-lady didn't I?" Plua giggled.

"Yes you did. Funniest thing I'd heard in years. You were quite determined to keep calling me that too." She paused as the fog started to solidify into Ben's living room. "He's a good person, and an able fighter, your grandfather. Very intelligent too." Ben looked down.

"You mean he was." Plua shook her head.

"No, I mean he IS. You don't think we weren't watching you when it happened? It's not as if he was blown to bits you know. He simply got transported to the null-void. It's just a holding cell of sorts, not a death sentence. Not unless they really want it to be. Your friend Kevin should be proof enough of that." Ben looked up sharply.

"Can Mana take someone out of the null-void with them?" Plua smiled as the living room became fully solid around them.

"Yes, if it's a blood relation. You could do it once you've had some decent practice with your powers. It takes a lot of work to go the null-void directly on our own, but it can be done, and leaving is much harder than getting there." She flicked her hand at the rectangle of swirling fog behind them. It disappeared with a rather shrill whirring sound. Still smiling, Plua turned back to face Ben. "Let that be your incentive to master your power." She sank into a sort of a curtsy in midair.

"Your representative will arrive once you open the present from him, so be ready for him to pop up any time after that." She straightened up. "I'll be dropping by too. I can keep an eye on things through the Mana gem I gave you. I'll be sure to give you warning before I drop in though, wouldn't want to land on anyone." She raised her arms and started to rise up. "For now though, get some sleep. I have a feeling you'll need it. See you tomorrow Ben." She vanished in a flash of blinding light.

Silence reigned in the living room for a good ten minutes. Finally Kevin spoke up. "Henry the Eighth and President Truman? That doesn't sound a little far-fetched to you?" Ben nearly jumped out of his skin when Serena appeared from out of nowhere in front of him and responded. He realized suddenly that she and Belicus hadn't followed him through the portal with Plua.

"I think it's quite fascinating! And there are records to back her up. Many of the White House carpenters wrote about digging up some strange creature, and England's royal staff has passed down stories about odd creatures for years." Ben cleared his throat quietly.

"I believe Plua. Truth tends to be way stranger than fiction. Besides, she doesn't seem like the lying type." Verdona snorted.

"No Mana is the lying type kiddo." They all stared at her. "Mana don't lie, it isn't in their nature. They may leave something out so it seems like a lie, but they don't outright deceive you, not with words anyway." She frowned slightly. "It's been decades since I've seen a Mana. Now they're getting even scarcer. That's not a good thing." She crossed her arms. "I've heard of the Mana Chiefs too. They are the main force that keeps the planet together. Without them, Earth and everything on it will fade away into non-existence." Ben drew in a deep breath.

"So it's like Vilgax all over again." He shrugged. "I can handle that." Gwen looked skeptical at this, but chose to pursue a different subject.

"What about the Omnitrix being sentient? I think that's a little far-fetched." Ben shook his head.

"Not really. I think the Fire Chief may be right. It does kind of think for itself. I had no idea it could free people from Xenocytes, but it brought it up first. It's done stranger stuff too. A few nights ago, it started up some kind of radar out of the blue. After a few minutes it said, "Elemental anomaly detected. Location is thirteen miles east of present position." Then it just changed back to its usual shape. I don't know what think about it anymore." Gwen raised an eyebrow at him.

"That sounds a little far-fetched too." Kevin shook his head.

"I believe him." At the arched eyebrow aimed at him, he said, "His left eye twitches when he lies." Gwen stared at him, then Ben, who reached up and felt his left eye briefly.

Dropping his hand, Ben said, "Never mind that. What I'm worried about is what's going to happen to the Omnitrix. I don't want to do something that might damage it. And I definitely don't want to accidentally set off the self destruct countdown again." He sighed. "I wish Azmuth was here. He made this thing. He should be able to give me some answers about it." Gwen frowned.

"Should doesn't mean will. Remember the last time we met him? If Azmuth knows the answers, odds are good he won't tell you." Ben nodded looking resigned.  "Anyway, I'm not sure he'd know anymore than you would. Even Serena and Belicus didn't know what Plua was, and they're supposed to know everything. Sounds to me like they're a pretty well kept secret." Ben started to say something, but Kevin cut him off.

"There's no point agonizing over it. Just wait till tomorrow. Whatever happens, happens." Ben grinned slightly.

"Maybe you're right. I am pretty curious about who my representative is though. Guess I'll find out tomorrow." His mother smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure you will. I have a few questions for him myself. Speaking of tomorrow, you and Gwen will be coming won't you Kevin? I know Gwen's parents will be here." Kevin started to speak, but Gwen cut him off.

"Of course we're coming! We wouldn't miss it for anything!" Sandra beamed.

"Good! We'll be eating in the backyard if the weather's nice, so dress light." Gwen nodded.

"Ken's back from college, so I'm sure he'll come too." She glanced at the clock. "Right now though, Julie and I are supposed to go shopping, and Kevin did say he'd take us." She shot a look at Kevin, who grimaced.

"No shrieking in the car." Was all he said. Gwen smirked as she opened the front door.

"No promises, sometimes we're gonna shriek." Julie giggled.

"Like when you and Ben watch football."

The door closed on Kevin's rather piercing shout of, "We do not shriek!" Ben rubbed his forehead.

"Why do I get the feeling that they're going to be doing that all the way to the mall?" Without looking down, he sidestepped the beeping blur that was Ship. The alien morph jumped and caught the door handle, pulling the door open and shooting outside. Ship leaped and morphed with the bumper of Kevin's car as it started to pull out of the driveway. "And why does that seem like a recipe for disaster?" Belicus appeared and gave an exaggerated wink of one eye at the open door. It shut with a crisp click.

"Because you know them genius, that's why." Verdona rose from her seat on the sofa.

"I'll be back tomorrow kiddo, so don't think you've seen the last of me. This is way too interesting to pass up." She smiled and snapped her fingers and was gone. Silence reigned inside for a few minutes. Finally Ben looked at his mother.

"You put Kevin on the spot like that on purpose didn't you?" She gave him an entirely unconvincing look of innocence and slipped back into the kitchen. Carl unfolded his newspaper.

"I'd take that as a yes, son." He turned to the sports section. "She thinks he's a ruffian, but she seems to like him for some odd reason." Ben couldn't find anything to say in response to this. Finally he turned to Serena and Belicus.

"Let's go upstairs and I'll work on resolving some more of your unfinished business." They rose higher and moved up the stairs faster than he could blink. Ben followed at a more sedate pace, thinking. "I'm going to have to make them give me a list if I ever want to finish old business. And what's up with mom? She's acting really weird." His last thought as he reached his room was, "How the heck did Kevin know that about my eye anyway?" As it turned out, Kevin was having questions of his own.

Kevin turned his head slightly and cut into the conversation going on behind him. "Gwen, Julie." They both went quiet and looked at him. "What the hell do you get someone like Ben for a present?" He didn't find the exchanging of blank looks or the long drawn out silence reassuring. Finally they both looked at him.

"I think you're gonna have to wing it." They said in unison. Kevin groaned and thumped his head against the steering wheel.

"Thanks. That makes it so much easier." He was sure this was going to be a long mall trip.