The Diclonius Tennyson Ch.1: The Wheels of Fate Change with a Life Saved

DISCLAIMER: All Lord Megatron nor Icysnowsage own any of the series used. Ben 10 was the property of Dwayne McDuffie (RIP) and Elfen Lied is the property of Lynn Okamoto

As part of their summer family road trip, the Tennyson family including Grandpa Max, and his two grandchildren Gwen and Ben were utterly and entirely lost. This happened after a fight with a random alien robot attacked them…. again. Ben accidentally burned their map while destroying the robot as one of his aliens, specifically heat blast, and now they were kind of lost at the moment as they drove through an empty road trying to find a place to ask for some direction. The area had some trees and if you look past them you can see some mountains to as well.

"Way to go, dweeb," Gwen said while looking out the window of the Rust Bucket as Ben looks at her in annoyance

"Hey, I didn't mean to destroy our map! It was an accident." Ben Tennyson's says to his Cousin a little annoyed.

Now to fully explain the situation, earlier in the day when Ben was in a battle with a massive Robot drone was trying to kill them, Ben went overboard with his battle with the fire as he melted the robot and accidently burned away the table the map was on. Now they need to find a place to ask for directions or a map.

"Now, now kids calm down." Grandpa Max says while driving. "There's no need for another argument so let's just relax and stay calm." Of course, that went on deaf ears as his grandson and granddaughter argued still. Max could only let out a sigh. "Well...it was worth a shot."

Max drove for a while but kept his eyes open wide for any interesting stops to make. He saw an interesting sight in an orphanage. Maybe the people who work there could help them out...and Ben and Gwen could meet people at the orphanage and talk to other kids. And try to show Ben and Gwen that some kids are just not as fortunate as them and are happy for the things they have been given, Max thought to himself.

Saint Emiliani's Home for Orphaned Children

In the Orphanage, a little girl simply named Kaede was drawing a picture by herself. She was drawing a beautiful picture of herself with other people who she thought might care about her as a family one day. Hopefully this will be fulfilled if she gets adopted. That is if any family can get past the small horns hidden under her hair and then the hat she wears further covering her hair and horns.

So, withdrawn in her daydreaming Kaede did not notice the three people sneaking up on her. The kid leading having two others following him strikes quickly and takes Kaede's drawing from her making a line from the colored pencil she was using to streak across the picture ruining it. She saw it was her bullies led by their leader Tomoo that was looking at her drawing with a sneer on his face and in disgust. "Oh, would you look at this garbage!" Tomoo sneered showing the drawing to his friends who look at it and began laughing in tandem.

"Oh, how adorable!" one of Tomoo's friends laughed out "The FREAK actually thinks she will one be adopted!" As the three continue to laugh Kaede's only response was a face of impassivity. She never gave them the chance to savor the bullying of her.

"Yeah, its adorable alright." Tomoo laughed even harder but stopped, he then began to crumple up the paper then. "But also, a very stupid dream." He then drops the paper he crumpled up right in front of her. "To think that anyone would adopt a horned freak like her only shows how deluded she really is." He then gets close to Kaede. " No one would ever want to adopt you-you are nothing but a freak, a monster and no one will ever, and I mean ever show any love to you? After all your parents most have abandoned you because of those horns of yours." He said as he gave Kaede a cruel smile that showed no empathy or sympathy.

Yet again Kaede did not show any agitation or anger towards Tomoo and his friend's attempts. She always ignored them but on the inside and mentally she was really hurt by this. Sometimes she believes that Tomoo is right and that no one would ever love her at all because of her horns. This has caused her so much pain in her life and many a sleepless night.

But before anything more could be said by the bullies one of them saw something outside the window. "Look, a new visitor is stopping by." One bully said catching the others attention as they looked.

"Well...looks like we have visitors." Tomoo turns to Kaede. "Wonder how they will react to a freak like you? I bet it won't be good." With that, he leaves as his buddies come with him leaving Kaede to look at the crunched-up paper. She can only sigh and endure hoping her pain will be rewarded. No one notices the slight vibrations behind Kaede.

Max parks the Rust Bucket in a parking lot, as they parked everyone gets out of the Rust Bucket and they looked at the orphanage. Max slightly sad remembering all the orphans he himself helped in his career as a "plumber". One in particular child he has not checked on in years comes to mind. He will have to check when he gets back to Bellwood

"So, how long will we be here for Grandpa?" Ben asked while having his hands in his pockets looking slightly interested in what he may find. Who knows maybe one of them likes sumo slammers to.

"Not long Ben. We just have to see if they have a map we can have." Max then began to walk with his niece and nephew following him into the orphanage's entrance.

"Try to behave, Ben, since the people here are mostly orphans and staff. Don't cause any trouble or hurt their feelings ok?" Gwen asked her cousin with a serious look.

Ben rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Relax I won't do anything stupid alright. After all its me," Ben said with a smirk as Gwen let's out a sigh and shake her head.

"That's what I am afraid of," Gwen says worried a little.

Soon they walked through the doors of the orphanage and Max looks for any staff that was nearby. He sees a young lady dressed in a regular t-shirt and jeans at what looks like a help desk and walks to one of them as he gets one's attention.

"Hello, I'm Max Tennyson and is it okay if I ask you some questions?" Max asked in a respectful voice.

"Sure, what would you like to know?" The staff asked Max.

"Just for some directions or a map since my grandchildren and I are kind of lost right now on the road," Max answers the female employee.

The staff nodded." OK, I think we have a map around here somewhere. Think you can't wait here for a little bit?" The staff replied to Max who nodded.

"Sure, we can wait," Max said much to Ben's displeasure as he sighs, and the staff nodded then as she was about to go but Max stops her. "Hey, is it alright if my grandkids and I look around the place? And see some of the kids around here?"

The Staff nodded to that giving them permission and with that Max, Gwen, and Ben were walking around the orphanage to find a room that had some other kids similar in age. Both of Max's grandchildren were curious ...well Gwen was more curious about them then Ben who just looks around the place like it was boring, and he was not even hiding that he was bored at all. He holds some hope that maybe one of the orphans may like sumo slammers to.

"I... really and I mean really hope that this goes quickly...I don't want to die of boredom." Ben says in a rude tone making his grandpa look at him.

"Ben be nice to the people here, also I'm sure you will make some friends around here as well. Heck some kids might be like you," Max says.

As for Gwen, she shivered at the thought. "Ok...now that would be a nightmare. Since I already have to deal with just one Doofus."

"OK well...I'm going to go to a bathroom...since something is not sitting right," Ben said as he felt nature call and headed to a nearby bathroom.

Kaede was leaving the room she was in. She was just going to go to her room just to sleep this day off as she walks down the hall...but as she continues down the hall she runs into some new faces. She saw two people and the two looked back at her with a face of kindness Kaede had never seen. These must be the visitors that one of Tomoo's friends mentioned. She then decided to wait for them to say something rude or hit her or the other stuff she was used to the adults and other kids doing to her. She just wants today to be over with right now. But what happened next surprised her.

"Why hello there," Max said kindly while getting on one to knee to be the same height as her something; Kaede did not expect. She was also glad there was no malice in his voice that she was used to of the other adults of the orphanage. She just looks at Max for a while in honest curiosity. Max gets a good look at her noticing her nice pink hair and beautiful pink eyes that reminds Max of something, but he cannot remember. He notices she is nervous and tries to make some small talk to cheer her up. "Is there something on my shirt? I know its kind old fashioned, but hey I love the classics." He laughed a little bit making Kaede smile and Gwen giggle at her "fossil" of a grandfather.

"Ah...No there's nothing on it ah...but it is nice to meet you sir," Kaede said still looking at the elderly man in surprise but still showing her manners that the matron drilled into her by the matron and employees.

"Well it's nice to meet you Kiddo, names, Max Tennyson," He then puts out his right hand for a handshake." So, what's your name, little lady?" He asked and Kaede looks at him with some hope that he was being so nice to her? No one was ever nice to her honestly. She was also amazed his granddaughter was so polite to.

"Ah...Kaede." Kaede tells the nice man and his granddaughter "What's your last name?" Max asked as she then looks down which causes her small hat to shift a little bit

"I don't have one..." she says sadly, Max notices he is making her uncomfortable, so he does not press on the subject. Max can tell that with her demeanor and shyness that she maybe a victim of bullying or abuse. This worries him greatly since the staff did not mention and rough housing on the premise.

"Alright well Gwen I would like to introduce you to meet Kaede." Max said making Gwen come up to Kaede who raises her head feeling her hat fall off and showing off her horns. Before She can introduce herself, Gwen introduces herself apparently not disgusted by her horns.

"Nice to meet you," Gwen said politely.

"It's nice to meet you to Gwen and you look nice," Kaede said trying to not hyperventilate as distortions form again behind her but unseen by everyone again. She notices that Gwen's smile is also not malicious and seems very kind.

"Thank you you're pretty to and look adorable." That made Kaede blush a little now as she looks away for a second but then freezes up at the comment she was anticipating. "Hey are those horns or an accessory?" Kaede then had wide eyes. She thinks now the two might think she's a freak. She hates her horns she hates them so much. The distortions as if reacting to her emotion get larger that Max begins to notice but makes no comment as he looks at Kaede and does not change his kind demeanor.

"Yes, they are." She puts her hands on them to cover them up. "You must think I'm a freak...a monster a very hideous monster!" Kaede almost screamed as she shook her head and begins to shiver uncontrollably. Max noticing that the distortions begin to take shape and start to remind him of a very particular race he decides to act with purpose.

Max puts a comforting hand on her shoulder and looks at her with a lot of care in his eyes and tone. "What? No, they are not hideous Kaede in fact they look very nice and go well with your hair." He says as Kaede now stopped looking sad and the distortions begin to lose form. "You're fine really, you're not hideous, a freak or a monster you're just a normal pretty little girl. Who the more I am getting to know may need some of my personal help," Max said with a sweat grandfatherly smile that comforted the horned girl. Gwen is touched by her grandpa's kindness and his way with helping children. She sometimes forgets that grandpa Max always found ways to make her, ben, and her brother ken smile even when they are crying or throwing a tantrum.

"Th-thank you...for all the nice things you said to me," Kaede said now having a smile on her face.

"Your welcome Kaede." Grandpa Max said petting her head a little, Kaede enjoyed it felt so nice. Max smile grew when he saw that the distortions he noticed are gone. Max is curious though of what race Kaede is though. He feels like it was important, but he cannot remember off the top of his head. He will have to research more when he gets some alone time.

Gwen then decides to speak up and add to her grandpa's good will. "Hey how about we be friends then. Would happy to have a friend with such nice hair as you," Gwen says and Kaede nodded to that now she has another friend besides Marina who she befriended yesterday in the orphanage over her secret pet dog.

Ben finally done with the restroom decides to go look for his grandpa and cousin. He looks a little bit before he comes across them with an "okay" looking girl with some odd headgear. Ben thinks he may as well make an impression to show of his awesomeness

"Hey guys, I'm done with my business. So, who are you people talking to?" Ben said as he looks at the pink haired-girl and interrupt what was a tender moment.

"Well I'm Kaede it's nice-"

Before Kaede could finish Ben cuts her off. "Kaede huh, weird name I guess. Well nice to meet you, I'm Ben Tennyson a pleasure to meet you," Ben said as he cut her off a little rudely and tries to do a pose that looks only great in his mind.

Kaede is justifiably a little mad that this random boy cut her off and insults her name which all she has from her dead parents, but she holds it in. "Well, Ben i-"

Yet again Ben cuts her off. "And I see you met my dweeb cousin and grandpa that's good to know oh," Ben interrupts quite rudely again and then sees something strange not noticing the angry look on his cousin's and grandpa's face. "Hey are those horns?" He then smiles." Hey, you know where I can get a pair of horns like those?" He said as he points to them." Since I think they look good on my freak of a cousin. You pull it off better though."

That did it as Kaede glared at him a little, but she looks at Gwen and Max then. She was happy that both of them have angry looks pointed at Ben with Max starting to stand up and look at Ben sternly. "It was really nice meeting you two." She says then turns back to Ben. "I hope I don't see you again. I do not like bullies, "and with that Kaede walks away from Ben who just looks confused.

"Ah...what is her problem? All I asked was where did she get those fake horns from. How dare she say I'm a bully." Ben asked a little angry she called him a bully as he sees Gwen look at him with a look of pure disgust that also gave a vibe that he was an idiot as for Max he just shakes his head in disappointment.

"Ben...those horns...we're real! And she's sensitive about them" Gwen said angrily right now as she sees that Ben now had wide eyes as he realized what he did now and now was feeling a lot of guilt for how insensitive he acted and how much like his own bullies he acted like.

"Oh...but I didn't know...I did not mean to be a jerk to her." Ben says looking down.

"Ben...I think you know what you have to do." Max said in a serious tone as Ben nodded as he goes to apologize.

"Should we go with him?" Gwen asked as she looks at Her grandpa.

Grandpa Max shakes his head no. "No, I think Ben should do this alone...I think I need to have a talk with the people here. No child should that be that self-hateful and dislike herself." Max said as he goes with his Granddaughter coming with him

As for Ben, he kept looking all over the orphanage until he saw Kaede in an empty room at a table. He saw she was looking down and quite sad. Ben feeling even more guilt at him making the girl feeling so sad walks into the room. He notices she ignores his presence even when he walks right up to her. She seems to be just looking at the empty table with a look of melancholy and ignoring him.

"Ah...hi again Kaede." Ben greets. Nervously,

There was no response as he sees Kaede just sitting there still ignoring him. She saw no point to talk to him. After all, he was just like her other bullies. He is just here to belittle her, mock her, and make her hate herself more than she already does.

Ben notices even more so how downtrodden he looks. Thinking this is mostly his fault he goes next to her and sits next to her as well. "Hey...I didn't mean to say those hurtful words...or hurt you...and..." Ben sighs then as he looks at the blank face girl his face showing her he truly is remorseful. "I'm sorry for my actions that hurt you."

That seemed to make Kaede look at him. She was about to say something when door opens, and a familiar voice was heard.

"Hey, freak." Kaede looked up exhausted at the one who said that and sees it was Tomoo who had a smirk with his hands in his pockets.

"And... who are you?" Ben asked the new kid who is giving him a bad vibe like a punk or bully he deals with at his school.

"Names Tomoo remember it kid." He says, and Ben could tell there's something extremely off about this boy. He gets a bad vibe of cruelty when Tomoo then turns to Kaede and sneers, "Now as for you freak. You think your pretty smart right? Thought you could hide something from me, well you're not smart enough to outwit me freak."

Kaede eyes go from her dead expression to extremely worried when she hears a whimper outside the doorway and sees two bullies walk in one holding a puppy. Ben's eyes go wide as well getting a horrible gut feeling when he sees the other two kids holding the puppy. A feeling he got from the robot he fought earlier. Cold unfeeling cruelty.

Kaede then gets up. "You Jerks! Put him down this instant! He has nothing to do with this or me!" She then tries to help free her dog but one of the bullies grabs her arms and restrains her.

"Where do you think you're going?" The bully sneered pulling her arms tight causing her pain.

"Let him go!" She then struggled in vain and in pain in the bully's grip. Her showing desperation and despair for the first time for all in the room, "Stop it!" She screams desperately much to Tomoo's joy and elation as the others laughed.

"Man, we never saw you this upset before you must really like this dumb dog," Tomoo said smiling cruelly making a shiver run up Kaede's and Ben's spine.

"He's right! You don't laugh, cry or smile at all when we pick on you. Your such a creep you horn head." the Bully that was holding the dog said, the Dog in his hand was whimpering and looking at Kaede trying to say with his eyes, "HELP ME PLEASE!".

"Hey you punks!" That yell got all their attention as they looked at Ben who is shaking in anger and frustration. "Let her and the dog go now!" Ben said standing up while gritting his teeth. Ben is caught in an impasse since he cannot and will not turn into an alien to deal with fellow kids. Even if those kids have the emotions of an unfeeling robotic death machines.

"Oh, and why should we do that? We're just trying to teach a freak to cry and act more human than it is." Tomoo says making Ben glare at him more at him dehumanizing to him a sweet but shy girl." All she has to do is cry, began-" before he could finish Kaede kicks the one holding her in the gut making him hold drop her. She tries to get to her dog but Tomoo grabs her. The look on his face shows nothing but malice. "Big mistake. "He then looks at his friend. "Kick the dog." Both Ben and Kaede had looks of horror as Tomoo friend got back up and kicks the dog against the wall hurting it while the other bully holds the dog in place.

"Nooooo!" Kaede yelled as she continued to struggle out the bully grip.

"Man!" Tomoo laughed out." This is way more fun than anything we did to her." He then grabbed a vase as he dumped out the flowers. "Now...hold it down." He ordered his friends who did while he threw Kaede to the ground hurting her and stunning her.

Ben sees this...and put the dots together. These kids were sick and demented. Not even his bullies Cash and J.T. would do something like this to people, they might be jerks but they had standards and basic humanity. Like NOT KILLING LIVING THINGS! . Ben then sees that Tomoo was walking to the puppy with a vase, so Ben does the only thing he can think of he runs at him and tackles him down and the two get into a fight with Ben trying to hold him down while Tomoo punches and kicks Ben.

"Hey!" Tomoo says aggravated as he tries to punch Ben harder but he holds him down tight.

As for Kaede, she was surprised that someone would do this for her. Maybe he did mean it when he was trying to apologize. Maybe there was some hope to believe in people. She looks at Ben in worry and screams. "Look out!" Kaede yelled as she sees the other bully come and he kicks Ben off Tomoo and then holds Ben down as Tomoo gets up. Tomoo then looks down at Ben and sneers as he then hits Ben in the face making him yell. Then to add more pain he punches Ben in his face making him hold his eye pain. Kaede can already see the swelling knowing Ben would get a black eye. Ben in pain is at a loss. He will not go alien on these kids but if he does not do something he may be severely injured and Kaede scarred for life as they kill her dog.

"Ok...now, where was I before I was interrupted? Ah yes." He turns to the puppy that was backing up. "Putting this dog out of its misery for being associated with you."

Tomoo then raised the vase to hit the dog with a wide and sadistic scary smile no one noticing the ripples in the air around Kaede as she falls into despair. When suddenly a big adult hand grabbed his Tomoo firmly making him wince. He turns around to yell at whoever held him only to stop at seeing a very angry Grandpa Max.

"What's going on here!" Max asked in a raised voice as he looks at Kaede on the ground and the bullies holding his grandson. "Get off my grandson NOW!"

The bully that was holding Ben him go in fear as he backs away from him in nervousness of the clearly enraged adult man. Kaede gets up from her stupor scoops up her dog and runs to Ben holding his eye in pain. Gwen walks in then and seeing her cousin in actual pain runs over to him and checks on him while Kaede kneels down next to him.

"Are you ok Ben?" Gwen asked worriedly for her cousin noticing some bruising on his arms and legs and the clearly black eye on his face.

"Yeah...I think so...also are you okay Kaede?" Ben asked her while he answered his cousin showing that while in pain he was more worried about Kaede. The ripples behind Kaede disappeared as she was stunned a little at Ben's caring about her well being.

"Yes, thanks to you and your Grandpa. Lord knows what would have happened if you did not show up." Oh if she only knew how bad it would have gotten. She said looking at Grandpa max who was talking to Tomoo and his friends in an aggravated and chastising tone.

"So...I know I said this but...I'm sorry that I was insensitive to you and...I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings when I talked about your horns...I hope you can forgive me and we could maybe be friends now?" Ben said slightly pained as he felt now was the best time to apologize to her. Kaede's only reply was to give him a hug making the dog bark a little squished between them.

"Yes...yes, I do forgive you," Kaede says sweetly making Ben blush a little. "And yes...we can be friends now." She said happily as Gwen smiles too but made sure Ben did not see her look of pride in him. She also kept secret on the surprise Max had planned especially now that his fears were comfirmed.

Note: Well, here's the first chapter of this story. This will be fun to do, along with the many...people Keade will meet in the Ben 10 universe.

Well, hope to see what you viewers think of the first chapter.