*Note: The AI is a shit, don't blame me for today's picture, is the best image I could do.
Have a good day :)
...
The weekend arrived quickly, and it was finally time to rest after the exhausting week we had all endured.
This week had been filled with too many emotions, and I deserved at least these two days of rest. Yes, this weekend I had no intention of lifting a single finger.
"Akira," Mikan suddenly said.
After Mikan officially became my girlfriend, I told her she could come to my house to hang out whenever she wanted. Unfortunately, during weekdays, it was impossible since we all had many things to do, and Mikan couldn't move in with me for obvious reasons.
Basically, if Rito weren't around, Mikan could live with me because her parents barely ever appeared at home. Unfortunately, Rito was in my way.
Anyway, there was nothing to do for now. The best option was to wait until Mikan turned fifteen and decided whether she wanted to move in with me and the girls.
When Mikan turned fifteen, Rito would be nineteen—old enough to take care of himself. As for Mikan's parents… we'd deal with that when the time came. For now, I was satisfied with these calm afternoons that weren't exciting at all. Sometimes, simplicity is nice too. Even someone like me, who loves adventures, needs to rest once in a while.
That said, today was a quiet Saturday, and everyone had decided to stay home. Yami and Mikan were reading manga, sitting side by side on the couch. Lala was tinkering with her inventions at the kitchen table—yes, she could've done it in her room, but she said that since everyone was in the living room, she didn't want to isolate herself.
Meanwhile, Momo, Nana, and even Peke were watching a TV show they'd become addicted to.
As for me, I was fiddling with the Omnitrix, checking data about my aliens to learn about their strengths and weaknesses—and maybe, just maybe, trying to unlock a new one (unsuccessfully).
Everyone was absorbed in their own activities, at least until Mikan spoke up.
"What is it?" I asked, setting aside the Omnitrix.
"You told me that watch of yours, the Omnitrix, could turn you into different aliens with different powers. Is that true?" Mikan asked.
"Mmm, I showed you this morning," I nodded.
It was already afternoon, and we had eaten.
Where was Rito? He told Mikan he'd be staying at his friend Saruyama's house until Sunday night, so he had no idea she was with us.
As for whether Rito knew about my new relationship with Mikan… the answer was no. Mikan said she wanted to wait a little longer before telling him. Right now, he wasn't in the best place emotionally, and she didn't think he'd take it well. So, she decided to wait until things got better before telling him. Of course, I respected her decision.
"So, tell me something. Do you have any alien capable of traveling between dimensions?" Mikan asked.
Hearing that, everyone looked intrigued.
"Why do you ask?" I said, puzzled.
"I'm reading a manga where the protagonist travels between different dimensions and timelines, and I was wondering if you could do the same," said Mikan.
I frowned. As far as I remembered, there was never an alien in Ben 10 capable of something like that. Sure, there was Clockwork, but his powers didn't involve traveling between timelines, so I had no idea if such an alien even existed.
"I have no idea. This watch unlocks aliens under specific circumstances, so I don't know if it has one like that," I said.
"I see… It would've been interesting to see other timelines, but if it's not possible, then it's not possible," Mikan said, sounding disappointed.
A real shame—she wanted to see other timelines to compare them with this one. Can you imagine a timeline where Mikan and Rito's parents stayed home and had normal jobs? She really wanted to see that.
"Yes, it would be interesting to see other timelines. Are you sure there's nothing you can do, Akira?" Lala asked.
The others also expressed interest in visiting other timelines. They hadn't thought about it before, but now that Mikan mentioned it, they were curious too. A timeline where Zastin became king? One where Lala never came to Earth? They wanted to see it—it sounded like an entertaining weekend plan.
"Even if you ask…" I began.
Suddenly—
[Strong desire from the Omnitrix host detected. Current aliens unable to fulfill the host's wish. Searching for compatible alien form…]
Damn it, not again…
[Compatible alien found. Forcing transformation!]
In an instant, a green light illuminated the entire room, forcing all the girls to shield their eyes. When the light faded, the Akira they knew was gone—or at least, the one they saw every day. In his place stood a completely different being.
The figure had a sleek, black body with glowing white clock-like patterns floating across its skin. It had no visible eyes but wore a mask with an hourglass-shaped slit. Its body seemed made of semi-solid shadow, and its feet didn't touch the floor—it hovered constantly.
"I just wanted a peaceful weekend…" I sighed.
The alien I had become belonged to a race called the Umbrachronicus, whose planet orbited a black hole—something that should've been impossible, since the immense gravity would've torn the planet apart instantly. But I was living proof that such a planet—or at least one—could exist.
The planet's name was *Nocturnis-Terra*, and time there flowed irregularly. There was no light, so the Umbrachronicus' eyes had evolved to see in complete darkness. Surprisingly, they could also tolerate bright light without harm.
Anyway, their abilities all revolved around time—specifically, traveling between different timelines—which was exactly what the girls had wished for.
"Amazing!" they all said at once.
They all tried to touch my body, but their hands passed through it—my body wasn't made of solid matter, though I could turn solid if I wanted to.
"Can this alien travel between timelines?" Peke asked curiously.
"Yes. It can open portals to different timelines, though I can't choose which one—it's completely random," I nodded.
"And how will we return to our own timeline afterward?" Lala asked curiously.
"One of this alien's abilities is to set a timeline as an anchor. That will allow us to come back once you've had your fun," I explained.
In fact, I had already marked this timeline.
Basically, this ability stores the 'coordinates' of a timeline so I can return later—and no, I won't lose them or forget them when I revert to human form. The coordinates vanish from my mind when I return to normal, but according to the Omnitrix, they reappear the next time I become ChronoShade.
ChronoShade—that's the name I've given this alien.
(*Note: Do you like it? Let me know in the comments!*)
"Perfect! Shall we go then?" Momo asked eagerly.
"Well… if you're ready, I don't mind—but some of you aren't," I said.
Momo and Nana weren't wearing pants, and I could see their underwear clearly. Momo was wearing pink panties with a small red bow in front, while Nana's were white with blue stripes.
"Ah! I forgot to put on my shorts!" Nana exclaimed.
She quickly ran upstairs to her room, embarrassed for being seen in her underwear.
"I'll be right back too. I'll put on some pants," Momo said with a smile.
In her case, it wasn't an accident—she just liked walking around in her underwear when we were home. Since becoming my fiancée, Momo didn't care if I saw her half-naked—or even completely naked. In fact, she often bathed with me, and those baths usually lasted quite a while…
Meanwhile, Nana, who once would've never been so careless, had grown used to walking around in her underwear when at home. Sometimes, she even slept naked.
Since she was also my fiancée, she didn't mind me seeing her that way, though she still blushed occasionally. But she felt comfortable enough at home that she no longer worried much about it.
After about five minutes, Nana and Momo came downstairs fully dressed.
Nana wore a short-sleeved white shirt and pink shorts, while Momo wore a white blouse and a pink skirt.
They looked almost identical—except one was dressed more casually, the other more neatly.
"Are you all ready now?" I asked.
"Yes!" they all replied in unison.
Even Yami looked excited. She wanted to see what other timelines were like.
"Before we go, I should warn you—I can't control where we'll appear, but I can make sure it's nearby," I said.
I'd reduced the portal's range to this city, so hopefully, we'd end up somewhere close. It was a shame this alien had such limitations, but you can't have everything in life.
"Alright," they said together.
Seeing them so determined, I sighed. I had wanted a normal weekend, and now I was an alien I didn't even know existed, about to jump into another timeline. Was it really too much to ask for a peaceful day?
That said, I extended my hands, grabbed the air, and pulled it apart, creating a dimensional rift.
"Whoa," Nana said in awe.
Yes, sometimes even she didn't act like a tsundere.
"I've torn the fabric of space-time. That's the power of ChronoShade," I said.
"Incredible! So, we just jump in?" Momo asked curiously.
The rift looked eerie—nothing but darkness inside—so at first glance, it was quite intimidating.
"Yes, but I have to go last. If I enter before you, it'll close," I explained.
Hearing that, the girls exchanged glances to see who would be the first brave one to go through.
"I'll go first! You can't overthink these things!" Lala declared.
Before anyone could stop her, Lala jumped into the rift and vanished.
"Sister!" Nana called.
Being closest to Lala, she jumped in after her, followed by Momo, Yami, and finally, Mikan.
"Please, let the next timeline not be too troublesome…" I muttered.
Then I stepped through the rift, which closed the moment I entered.