Ben 10 fanfic - To Grandmother's House

Disclaimers:

Ben 10, Ben 10: Alien Force and their respective characters belong to Man of Action

Author’s Note:

From a series of one-shots that hold no continuity unless stated otherwise. This alternate universe drabble is the result of a couple of things:

1.) Rereading “A Company of Wolves” and “Little Red Riding Hood” one too many times. Though I like to think it’s more the former than the latter.

2.) Listening to the “Into The Woods” soundtrack far too often. I was particularly struck by the lines “Where witches, ghosts and wolves appear”

So the way this is written may slightly differ from how I normally write.

--

To Grandmother’s House

Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a young woman named Gwen.

Her hair shone a brilliant red, as fiery as the passion burning within her slender frame. Her eyes were a bright emerald. They gleamed with naivety whenever her lips widened to a welcoming smile and they flashed with spite whenever she made a cutting remark.

One fine morning Gwen had been tasked to bring her grandmother a basket laden with an assortment of dried meat, preserved jams and freshly baked bread. It was a duty she did not begrudge for the young woman enjoyed exploring the nearby woods where her grandmother lived. Especially ever since she found a four-legged companion nearly five summers ago.

She travelled down the dirt road towards the forest, enjoying the wind that ran its fingers through her sun-kissed hair. The basket swung enticingly from the crook of her bare, slender arm, but young Gwen had no need to worry about the gift for her grandmother. Her delicate form belied an unusual strength that many have come to discover the hard way.

Where the forest began, the young girl came upon a face unfamiliar to her. His flaxen hair, radiant as gold, was combed smoothly back, save for a strand that curled perfectly down to his brows. His eyes were glossy sapphire. They glimmered when his sights fell upon the young woman approaching him and his lips curled into a disarming smile.

Gwen’s cheeks tinged pink at the young man’s attention but she quickly gathered her composure and ventured closer.

“Good day, young miss.” He bowed.

“Good day, sir.” She nodded in return.

He introduced himself as a hunter, “I am known as Morningstar.”

And she returned the favor, “I’m Gwen.”

“Where are you off to with such a heavy load?”

“I’m taking these to my grandma.” The young woman explained.

“Would you like me to escort you to your grandmother’s? The woods can be confusing and dangerous.”

Gwen declined his offer. Over ten seasons she had been bringing her grandmother these baskets. The young lady knew the woods and its inhabitants far better than the unfamiliar hunter would, but she was too polite to correct him.

“If you are certain, young miss.” The hunter smiled once again.

“My grandma lives at the end of this path. So long as I don’t stray from it, I’ll be fine.” She gestured to the trail where but a few stray blades of grass struggled to grow.

Morningstar eyed the road uncertainly, “If you run into any wolves, let me know.”

Gwen didn’t allow herself to make any promises, instead she waved goodbye. The wolves in the forest knew well enough to avoid where humans tread, save for one solitary wolf. But that one was special and Gwen would do everything she could to keep him safe. Without a second glance at the hunter, she started down the path leading to her grandmother’s house.

How would she know the path would lead danger towards her?

The delicious aroma wafting from her basket drew out all sorts of woodland creatures. She delighted at the rabbits playfully skipping about and the harmony of the birds singing up in the canopy of leaves. A fawn and its mother peeked shyly from the trees and Gwen broke off a small chunk of bread and tossed it towards the pair.

She scanned the forest, waiting for a jet-black blur to appear from the underbrush. When she had been younger, she came across a young, injured wolf. Without thinking about the dangers of her actions, Gwen brought the wounded animal to her grandmother’s along with the basket.

It wasn’t an easy task as the wolf snapped and snarled and clawed and generally made things difficult for the young girl. She held fast, understanding that the poor thing was just frightened and wary of humans. Eventually she reached her grandmother’s and together they nursed it back to health.

Ever since then, the wolf would seek Gwen out whenever she came to visit her grandmother. The young woman never needed to wait long for her furry friend to meet her but today was proving to be the exception. Still, she waited by the path, playing with the occasional squirrel that scampered close or the rare sparrow that rested on her basket.

Everything stilled when a figure emerged from the shadows of the forest. It was another young man, and like the hunter, Gwen had never seen him before. His hair was deepest obsidian, as if the very shadows he had appeared from framed his chiseled features. His eyes were dark, unpolished amber. Intense and focused on her every move, they seemed to glow with a ferocity that Gwen found unnerving but strangely familiar.

He stepped forward and a grin spread across his face.

She stood her ground, unaffected by his approach and smiled brightly, “Good day, sir.”

“G-good day.” He stammered, as if unaccustomed to hearing his own voice. He opened his mouth but quickly decided against speaking only to second guess himself and make another attempt, which he would change his mind about.

Gwen chuckled before stating “Yes, you can have some food if you’re hungry. I’m on my way to my grandma’s. No, I don’t need someone to escort me. And if you follow the path that way you’ll get to the entrance of the forest.”

The stranger blinked before sheepishly laughing, “Actually, I was going to introduce myself.”

“Oh.” Gwen found herself blushing in embarrassment and offered her free hand, “Um, I apologize for being so presumptuous. I’m Gwen.”

“Kevin.” He smiled, accepting the proffered limb.

At the touch of his hand, Gwen felt the inexplicable sensation of déjà vu wash over her. She stared deeply into his eyes, trying not to let him know of the strange notions she had in her head.

I feel like I know you. Was what she wanted to say.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Was what she actually said.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and for a moment Gwen liked having her hand held by the unusually familiar young man.

The longer they stared at each other, the warmer Gwen’s face became until she pulled away and excused herself. “I should get going now, m-mustn’t keep grandma waiting.”

She ran the rest of the way to her grandmother’s.

Having met Kevin, Gwen was experiencing a strange jumble of confusing emotions and needed someone to help clear her mind. Granted her paternal grandmother wasn’t the best choice when it comes to being the voice of reason, but the young woman was desperate.

She arrived at the small cottage, out of breath and gasping for air. Leaning against the door to steady her breathing, Gwen was surprised to feel the wood slipping away from her hand. She looked up and found her grandmother staring eerily at her.

“Gwen, sweetie, come in, come in! And I see you brought me a little something, oh that is just so darling of you.” She squealed and promptly pulled her granddaughter into the cottage.

The young woman had the basket nearly ripped off her arm before being ushered to an oversized plush cushion. “Grandma, can, that is, could we talk?”

“Of course, sweetie. Tell Grandma Verdona what’s on your mind.” The elderly woman batted her lashes as she plopped down on an overstuffed recliner and set the basket of food on her lap.

Gwen told her grandmother of the hunter she had met, how strange it was that of all the creatures in the forest he was so concerned about wolves.

“I can understand why you’d be worried about that man.” Verdona nodded darkly as she polished off the candied plums. “With a name like Morningstar it’s a wonder he even shows his face.”

Gwen was not surprised that her grandmother completely missed her point. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The young woman bit her lip nervously before telling Verdona about the second young man. She confided about the nagging sensation that she knew him, but she swore she had never laid eyes on him until that moment. “When we touched, it was like I’ve held his hand before. And the way he looked at me, Grandma. It was all so very-”

“Wonderful? Exciting? The best thing you could ever have imagined? Tell me if I’m getting warm, sweetie.” The elderly woman seemed unperturbed by the abject disbelief on her granddaughter’s face.

“N-no! It wasn’t anything like that!”

“Oh so it was horrible? Disgusting? Makes you want to crawl under a rock and die?”

“No! It was, was, oh I don’t know.”

“You’re going to have to give me more to work with, Gwen.” Verdona wagged a finger at her granddaughter. “No matter, sweetie, just remember: Fear not the wolfen but the wolf within.”

With that vaguely sage advice, Gwen bade her grandmother farewell.

Dusk had begun to settle across the land, what few shafts of light that managed to pierce the canopy of trees slowly began to dim. However, Gwen wasn’t worried about the darkness that would soon befall the forest. Her mind was too preoccupied by the events of the day, particularly her encounter with the dark-haired young man.

A low growl cut into her thoughts and Gwen turned to find it was her friend the wolf. She brightened and reached out to give him an affectionate pat. Gwen was surprised when he shied away from her touch and chose instead to turn his back to her with a huff.

The young woman canted her head, arms akimbo in disbelief. “Are you mad at me?”

The wolf glanced at her and snorted in confirmation.

Gwen tried to suppress the smile cracking across her face. “Is this because I didn’t wait for you on the path before going to Grandma’s?”

He whined softly before pressing himself flat on the ground. Gwen sat down next to him, legs stretched out as she rested on the palm of her hands.

“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go with you. There was just this young man I met.” And she told the sulking wolf about Kevin. She expressed the same sentiments she had made with her grandmother and the animal simply whined and laid his head in her lap in response. Scratching gently at his ear, Gwen suddenly remembered the man she first met.

“You should tell your pack to be extra careful for a while. There’s a new hunter in the woods.”

The wolf looked up at her as if it was no concern to him. Until she uttered his name. He sprang to his feet, ears pressed flat against his head and fangs bared. He snarled at her before dashing down the path towards Verdona’s cottage.

Gwen had been frightened by her friend’s reaction, but the moment the wolf set off towards her grandmother she took chase. With the daylight fading away into evening shadows, Gwen found a sense of dread growing in the pit of her stomach.

She quickened her pace and eventually arrived at the small cottage. The last rays of sun shone upon the path, revealing tracks both human and wolf leading to the door left ajar.

A scream pierced the forest air.

“Grandma!” the young woman cried out in alarm and dashed in.

Inside, Gwen found the wolf, poised to attack. But his target was neither Gwen who was standing at the doorway, of Verdona who was trapped beneath a net. No, his hate-filled glare was directed at the hunter, Morningstar.

“Struggle all you want, you witch. That net’s made of wizard’s bane.” The blonde sneered.

“Wizard’s bane, eh? Most impressive. I mean for a steward of that fifth-rate slipshod Hex.” Verdona cackled. “But wizard’s bane will do little against an extra pair of hands, won’t it dearie?” She grinned and turned towards the snarling wolf.

Gwen watched in utter amazement as the wolf’s form began to elongate and rise on his hind legs. The sickening sound of limbs snapping and reshaping echoed in the small cottage. Before long, the dark-furred wolf became the dark-haired man known as Kevin.

“So the curse has been broken.” Morningstar looked impressed.

“That’s not all that’s about to be broken.” Kevin snarled before lunging at the hunter.

“Oy, wolf! I meant for you to get me of this net first!” Verdona snapped before noticing her granddaughter. “Gwen, sweetie, get me out of here.”

Morningstar spied the young woman from the corner of his eye and after narrowly dodging a bone-crushing blow, he dashed up to Gwen. Kevin charged after the hunter but the blonde go to Gwen first. He grabbed her by the wrist and viciously twisted it against her back as he stepped behind her.

She let out a gasp of pain, wisely keeping still lest she wanted to break her arm. The cool of steel licked at her neck as Morningstar held a knife to her throat.

“Step away from the hag or the pretty girl dies.” The hunter warned with mad delight.

“Let her go.” Kevin glowered, instinctively baring his teeth.

“I said step away from the hag.” He pressed the edge of the blade against Gwen’s skin until he drew a pin-prick of blood.

Kevin shook in rage but did as he was told.

“Good boy.” The blonde chuckled and slowly forced Gwen forward until they stood directly above Verdona.

“Why are you doing this?” Gwen demanded.

“Why?” Morningstar shook his head in amusement, “Power of course. Hex promised unimaginable power to anyone who could kill the only witch capable of breaking the spell on the cursed wolf. And I've spent a long time hunting you down.”

Verdona quirked an unimpressed brow. “Your parents should have named you Dimstar if you actually believed a word that lying sack of slime makes.”

“You shut your mouth, witch!” Morningstar hissed and gave the elderly woman a sharp kick to her ribs.

“Grandma!” Gwen gasped. It was about time the hunter learned that Gwen’s delicate frame belied an unusual strength.

Verdona looked up from under the net and grinned when she saw that “It’s over.”

“What are you yammering on about you old haaaaaaaaugh!” He screamed as lightning burst from the roof and struck him. His grip fell slack and the knife slid from his hand to clatter noisily to the floor.

Kevin took this opportunity to tackle the hunter before proceeding to bash his head into a bloody pulp. He would have continued pummeling the blonde had Gwen not embraced him from behind.

“That’s enough,” She whispered.

“He hurt you.” He growled, one fist still poised to strike the unrecognizable Morningstar.

“Yes, he did, but I’m fine.” She smiled, “Besides, Grandma wants a turn at him for calling her old.”

“I am many things but I am most certainly not old!” The menace in Verdona’s voice was enough to convince Kevin to distance himself from the hunter. “Now, why don’t the two wait in the kitchen while I deal with Dimstar.”

She motioned them to leave, which Gwen and Kevin did without question.

Once alone, Gwen found that she had so many questions to ask Kevin. How did he become cursed? Why had he been cursed? When did his grandmother break the curse? Had he always been able to change forms? And ad nauseam.

But as they sat down beside each other, her mind went completely blank. She did nothing but stare at him, her mind comparing the similarities between Kevin’s human face and his wolfen one. The hue of his hair, the fierce expression, the wolfish grin, but it was his eyes.

How could Gwen have not recognized those intense, smoldering eyes?

“Like what you see?” He grinned.

She blinked, crimson spreading across her face like wildfire. “Y-yes, I mean no! I mean, that is to say...” she stammered.

He laughed, “I know, I was pretty much like that when Verdona broke half of the curse yesterday. I mean, after five years I had almost forgotten what I really looked like.”

“What do you mean by half of the curse?”

Before Kevin could explain, Verdona burst in, wiping off green slime onto her frock. “It’s getting late, Kevin escort my granddaughter home. And I mean all the way home.”

Kevin frowned, “You know I can’t leave the forest without breaking the other half of the curse.”

The old woman threw her hands up into the air, “You mean she hasn’t kissed you yet?”

Both Gwen and Kevin turned beet red.

“K-kiss?” Gwen squeaked.

“Yes, a kiss of love is one of the most basic counteragents against a curse. Has everything I’ve taught you simply gone in one ear and out the other, sweetie?” she sighed.

“Was that why you told me you couldn’t do it?” Kevin looked strangely relieved.

Verdona didn’t take offense, “Of course, dearie. Now go on, Gwen. Kiss Kevin so I can be rid of you both for the evening. I need my alone time.”

The young man and the young woman stared at each other, cheeks burning and hearts threatening to burst. Gwen took the initiative and leaned forward, slowly raising her lips to Kevin’s cheek.

“You’re off the mark, Gwen.” Her grandmother remarked, matter-of-factly. “It has to be on the lips.”

And before anyone could protest, Verdona pushed the two together, causing their lips to meet.

The woods were suddenly aglow as a pillar of light reached up to the night sky.

“Curse broken,” Verdona clapped and promptly shoved the two out of the cottage, “Now shoo.”

With the door slamming shut behind them, Gwen and Kevin just looked at one another for a few moments. Eventually, their fingers interlaced with the other’s and shy smiles graced their lips. Together they walked down the path, content to simply enjoy each other’s presence as they mulled over the kiss they just had.

It was certainly not the kind of kiss either of them ever pictured having, but they both agreed it would not be the last they’d share.