""RRAARRRRGGHHHHHH!!!"
One of the Loboans jumped out of the shadows. It's canine snout snarled and drooled. It flexed it's three clawed hands and muscular arms as if challenging the group.
"What's it doing?" asked Touma. "Why doesn't they attack?"
"I've seen this kind of behavior before." said Looma. "It's a ritual similar to the customs of my planet. They want their strongest pack member to face one of us in battle to prove itself."
"Looma's right." said Tetrax. "Some Loboan factions place heavy emphasis on combat capability. The other members of the pack won't attack until one of us falls in battle."
Mikoto's bangs sparked slightly. "Alright then.....if there is one thing Ben's told me about Loboans, it's that they aren't immune to electricution. I'll have this done quick!"
"No!" said Looma. "You heard what Tetrax said, the pack won't attack as long as one of us is still standing! With your kind of power against a noninsulated Loboan the battle will be done too quick and we'll be done for. However.........."
Looma cracked her four knuckles. "Against me, I'll be able to stall him for a bit. Besides, my warrior's honor cannot turn down a challenge!"
Looma took Ben from her shoulder and laid him at Mikoto's feet. "He is your beloved.........keep him safe..."
"L-Looma?" said Mikoto stunned at the lack of jealousy the Tetramand princess was displaying.
"I have accepted that it is you he loves Misaka Mikoto." said Looma. "But since he defeated me in battle, he is still my liege lord, I will defend him with all my strength. Now go! I will hold this pack down as long as I can!"
Looma from the Tetramand House Of Red Wind approached the Loboan. "I will be your opponent creature!!"
The Loboans surrounding the two combatants howled ferociously as the two began to circle each other.
Mikoto picked Ben up by the arm while Touma helped her with the other side. "Looma! Come out alive, got it!?"
Together with Tetrax, Mikoto and Touma carried Ben down the Passage of Beginnings as fast as they could. The inside of the cave was unnaturally wide and smooth. There were signs that Loboans had recently traversed this cave. Claw marks and the bones of other alien life forms were everywhere. Mikoto even thought she might have seen the remains of a Thep-Khufan's gold mask somewhere.
"Everyone stick together." said Tetrax. "While these caves aren't the preferred den of a Loboan, their could still be one wolf or two in here."
"There's something odd about this place." said Touma. "But I just can't explain it."
"I feel it too." said Mikoto. "It feels incredibly old........almost as if you could turn to fossilized dust just walking through it."
"That's not surprising." said Tetrax. "The Ancient One's species have a lot to do with time. Mikoto, you've seen all of Ben's transformations right?"
"Seen all of them? No. Had them all described to me? Yes." said Mikoto.
"Then I understand you've heard about Clockwork*." said Tetrax.
"Yeah." said Mikoto. "the species is called a Chronosapien right?"
"So you're saying that the Ancient Ones are Chronosapiens?" asked Touma.
"Well that's how the legend goes." said Tetrax.
After a bit of walking, the group came to an ancient looking wall with a bunch of hyroglphics, the largest one on the top center depicting a giant monster squid-like creature similar in appearance to Vilgax when he was a monster squid. Only this creature looked more ancient, powerful, and dangerous.
"That's Diagon." said Tetrax. "These ruins were made at the end of Diagon's first arrival in this dimension. It was also the same time that he was defeated and banished from this world."
"That's Diagon?" asked Touma. "Anyone else notices he looks like a giant kalamari?"
"Shhh!" said Mikoto.
"Huh?" said Touma, a little taken aback by Mikoto's sudden shushing.
"I'm trying to look for the keyhole Gar told us about........"
"Look no further." said Tetrax. "Because I've found it here."
Tetrax touched a finger to the center of Diagon's head. The eyes on the picture glowed red and a large hole opened up in the middle of the door. "We'll need to put the Omnitrix in there."
"Are you sure we can do that?" asked Mikoto. "That's only large enough for Ben's arm, and last I checked, the Omnitrix fused so tightly with Ben that the power core is near his heart area." ( Mikoto and Ben found out about the depth of the microscopic level of the Omnitrix's fusion to him during his last doctor's appointment.)
"The 0 energy runs from the power core throughout the entire Omnitrix." said Tetrax. "The main bulk of the device should be enough."
Together, Mikoto and Touma put Ben's left arm into the hole. Immediately the wall glowed green and phased out of existance like a mirage. Mikoto and Touma picked Ben back up and followed Tetrax into the round circular room.
On stone stools all around the room, sat rusty looking brass robot creatures. They all had transparent windows on their chests which showed clock-like gears in their bodies. Their stuby metal arms and legs looked limp at the moment.
Mikoto walked over to one of the motionless gear creatures and knocked on it. A hollow metal sound reverbrated from it. "Well these guys look pretty dead..."
"Wait....." said Touma putting his ear to one of the motionless drones. "Do you hear that?"
Mikoto put her ear to the chest of one of the silent figures. Inside she could hear a slight noise, slow heavy breathing.
"They're in a hibernative state." said Tetrax dusting off one of the sleeping Chronosapiens. "Mikoto, give them a shock....not a big one. That should wake them up.
Mikoto stomped the ground. An electrical current spread outwards among the sleeping Chronosapiens. Immediately, the chest plates on the Chronosapiens started glowing green. The gears inside the chest plates of the Chronosapiens began to turn and the limbs began to shift.
One of the Chronosapiens stretched his metal arms. "Ooooohhhhhhhh.........that was a nice nap...........How long were we sleeping?"
"About......." Another Chronosapien started scratching his metal head. "Hmmm............12 centuries maybe?"
"Nevermind that!" said yet another Chronosapien. "We have guests! Long expected ones at that."
"Ancient Ones." said Tetrax bowing. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are-"
"We know who you are, Tetrax shard, Misaka Mikoto, and Kamijou Touma. " said the first Chronosapien. "We also know Ben Tennyson over there as well as what troubles him........"
"Wow." said Touma. "These guys really are the real deal."
"Of course we are real deal!" said a Chronosapien. "We were once the most powerful intergalactic mages back in our day! Omnicience in one's sleep is a simple matter!"
"Please." said Mikoto. "Tetrax said that you could tell us if-"
"Yes, yes" said a Chronosapien on the far left. "You want to know if that 'method' you heard of will work on saving your friend their from being taken over by the High Ectonurite Lord himself. Well Ascalon is quite an......unusual method........... if I do say so myself."
"Ascalon?"
"A sword that can control all of time and space within it's blade. It was once wielded by a human known as Saint George, and was the very sword that cut out Diagon's heart and banished that filthy demon from this world." said the Chronosapien. "The sword was locked within the depths of Anur Phaetos."
"So how is this sword supposed to help Ben?" asked Mikoto urgently.
"My.....feeling desperate are you?" said the Chronosapien.
"Of course she is desperate!" said the more loud mouthed Chronosapien. "She's a youth maddly in love! Oh, I remember when I was young and in love!"
"Guys!" said Mikoto now feeling just as desperate as the Chronosapiens described her. "Can we please focus here!?"
"Oh, all right!" said the loud mouthed Chronosapien. "If any one being were to touch the blade of Ascalon while it still lies in the alter of Zs'Skayr, it becomes possible to travel into the mind of a person who also touches the blade, and seal away any conflicting consciousness. In short, you'll be able to go in, show that GhostFreak fellow what for, and happy ending for everyone!"
Mikoto suddenly felt a bright light enter her heart. There was hope. Something that might actually work. Something that could save Ben.
"Ancient Ones, if I may-?" Began Tetrax.
"Yes!" said the loud mouthed Chronosapien. "You want to know about the prophecy we made years back!"
"They really need to stop interupting like that." Touma muttered.
"I'm afraid that on the issue of our prophecies. " said the Chronosapien. "There are certain laws that forbid us from lending out the specifics. However, we can assure you that Ben Tennyson is indeed involved in the prophecy, and that he might be the most important half of the puzzle......"
"And the other half of the puzzle?" Asked Tetrax.
At this question, Mikoto had the sudden feeling that the Chronosapiens were intentionally trying not to look at her.
"Oh, you'll see." said a more quiet and stout Chronosapien. "But for now, I think you should leave as fast as you can."
"What? Why?".
All the Chronosapiens turned to look at the group. "12 hours.......that is how long you have before Ben Tennyson is stuck in darkness forever......."
*Clockwork is Ben 10's Chronosapien form. Chronosapiens are capable of time travel. They can also fire time beams that can either age an object to dust, or send the target hurling through time. Chronosapiens can also show images of what happened in the location they were standing in the past. Ben tends to be very careful when using this alien, especially giving the complicatedness of accidentally altering the time stream.