Ben 10 Radiant War, Volume 4

First there was Ten.. Then There was None.

Ophelia staggered forward.  Her eyes were wide with horror. 

"B-Ben.. my love... my beloved.. my-... w..wha-?"

As Ophelia staggered forth she stared at her hands.. which were disintegrating into golden light. "Wh-what's happening... wh-what is..?"

"OPHELIA!" Hanzo ran forward to grab the vampire's shoulder, only for his hand to go through golden sparkling dust that shimmered away.

"Uh.. GUYS!?" Shi-Jian stammered, holding up his hands which were now sparkling with golden light. "WHAT'S GOING ON!?"

"The Radiant War Curse.." said Sephirah. "Ben Tennyson, whatever he did, it broke Shub Niggurath's remaining hold on it, even in her death... it was probably being held together by somehing within the one called Alice. You're all going back.."

"W-Wait.. but What about BEN-!?" Parvarti stammered, only for her body to suddenly shimmer away before she could reach him. 

"DAMNIT BOSS WAIT I CAN'T GO YET!!" Hanzo roared as he staggered to Ben with effort, but with his hands only inches away from the unmoving Ben's shoulder, he disappeared in a shimmer of gold light. 

"My Lor-" Dragfeld looked stunned, but was only able to get a few words out before she disappeared in a burst of gold light.. 

Soon all that was left was Erice, Deca,  Highfeld,  Akira, Mika and Sephirah.. and Ben's shimmering body on the ground.

Erice bit her lower lip as she looked at her hand that was now turning transparent and sparkling gold.  "No.. NO!!!"

Deca fell to her knees as she stared wide eyed, silent.. "B-big Brother.."

Even Highfeld looked stunned.

Erice ran to Ben.. the water of the eternal world splashing around her feet... and grabbed the Omnitrix on his wrist.

Immediately the Omnitrix glowed, and Erice's body stopped turning transparent..

"Of course, that device resists Eldritch Power.. " Akira muttered as he stood up gingerly, clutching his own wound. 

"COME ON MAN!!" Erice screamed as she hammered Ben's chest with a fist. "GET UP!! You.. you can NEVER die so easily.. please, I can't go through this, not again! YOU STILL HAVE TO FIND US DON'T YOU!!?"

Ben's eyes opened a little and he turned his head slowly to look at Erice and smiled. When he spoke, his voice was weak, and barely audible. 

"No... Nia said.. the one who beats her.. is the one who remembers.. Erice.. you have to find us.."

Erice's eyes went wide with shock. "No.. no nonononono.. I lost my powers.. Ben you know I lost them. I can't do anything anymore.."

"That's not true." Ben whispered. "Listen to me.. if there's one thing I learned.. throughout all this.. is that being a hero isn't about having powers. It's about standing up for someone else even when every fiber in your being tells you to sit down.  And if there's anybody I know in the world who does that... it's you.."

Erice gritted her teeth, her tears splattering down her cheeks. "I can't do that.. I CAN'T..not without you."

Ben grinned as his body began to glow brighter. "That girl.. Alice.. she's in pain Erice.. and as long as she's in pain, she'll keep hurting others, all cause she's got nobody to teach her the right way like I did.. you have to be that person now.."

"AAAGHHH.. DAMNIT.. MY MIND.. ITS GOING BLANK.. I'm.. forgetting!! Wh.. what.. is.." Alice screamed as she clutched her head angrily.

"I placed the seal, but it won't take unless she surrenders to it.. if she doesn't, she'll break it anyways, and everything I did would be for nothing." Ben rasped. "I need you Erice.  She needs you.."

"I can't do anything.. I can't do the things you do!" Erice sobbed.