Author's Note: I do not own Ben 10. Ben 10 is owned by Man of Action... At least last I checked

The practice had started off easy enough. Simply shoot the arrows, watch them glide effortlessly through the air and land on the target. There was really nothing to it. What happened after Ben managed to land a few shots was what killed him.

Bellatrix finally decided the warming up session was over when the two looked comfortable enough and immediately began to start the real practice. Every time either missed their target the two were forced to run up and down the two kilometre winding path and be back in a time Bellatrix felt was reasonable or they would both be forced to do the same lap again.

"If you want to become a Centaur you will train like a Centaur no ifs, ands or buts." She would always say with a wave of her wrist and shunning them back to their positions.

They were at one of the highest parts of the forest and the air was scarce and dry. No shade or cool breeze was able to reach this height and the sun beat down with a vengeful fury. The coarse sand grew hot beneath the soles of their feet and the refusal of water breaks left Ben in and out of tunnel vision. The lack of breaks was apparently supposed to help them learn how to conserve their stamina which in theory seemed reasonable enough, but experiencing it first hand proved to be possible one of the worst training decisions ever.

Not only was the weather bad, but their aim seemed to falter more so and more so to the point Bellatrix believed the only possible explanation was because the punishment for missing wasn't severe enough. In what she dubbed a 'generous act of kindness' she decided to send two of her spear wielders after them for motivation for them to run faster. They did.

The sky dipped from a vibrant orange to a cool lilac by the time Bellatrix called it a day. The cousins fell to the ground and with a bored sigh Bellatrix helped them up to their feet. She reminded them in a stern voice they had to be back at the same time tomorrow or else. Ben really couldn't think of anything worse for whatever the 'or else' could be and he really didn't want to.

Somehow the two managed to crawl their way down the hill and with the lights from the various lanterns were able to find their cabin. By some miracle Gwen found what little strength she had left to push the large wooden door open with a loud creak. She took an unstable step forward only to fall over a tired heap lying in the middle of the floor. He was caked in so much dirt and bruises it was a wonder Kevin was able to resemble himself at all. Ben, being too tired to see this, accidentally kicked Kevin in the knee, tripped and joined the pile of broken bodies on the floor. The three groaned in pain, but made no effort to move from where they lay.

The promise of a comfortable bed was enough for them to work together and find their way off the floor and to their beds. Gwen and Kevin flopped in theirs with a content sigh and the lull of sleep took them the moment their faces hit the pillow. Ben still had to climb to the top bunk that, up until now, was the best part of the trip. Now every part of Ben's worn muscles screamed out at him as he pulled himself up. He rolled lazily into his bed upon reaching the top and in any other situation he would also have fallen asleep in an instant. But not this time.

He was still haunted with the question he still needed to answer otherwise they would have to go through another day of legal torture. And another day after that and another and another. He rubbed his burning eyes and winced in pain. He knew they only had a few days before his parents would start to worry and he was already too far in to outright lie to Kahina. She would probably be able to tell either way. Still...

"What do I live for?" He murmured.

It was such a simple question. He lived for a lot of things For his family, his friends, for Julie, his sport. He also lived to help others he didn't know. He willed his eyes to stay open and shook his head hoping to shake sleep off along with it. For hours he twisted and stirred searching for any possible loophole to the question. He would have kicked himself out of frustration, but the slightest movement was enough to send whatever muscle he didn't know he had into a spasm. Morning rolled in with the soothing song of woodland birds and his heart dropped into his stomach when the realization hit he had been up the whole night.

In vain effort Ben quickly closed his eyes and slowly drifted into a coma-like sleep. He would've fully succeeded to if not even a few minutes later Ajax had barged in with such force he shook the whole cabin, instantly stirring Gwen and Kevin from their sleep. The two blindly searched for the ground with their feet and walked to wear Ajax stood. They walked forward like they were seniors in a nursing home and not the vibrant teenagers they were barely a day earlier.

Ben, however, needed to be heaved out of bed by Ajax and landed on the floor with a soft thump. With some thoughtless begging on Gwen's part and jabs on Kevin's they eventually decided there was no way Ben was leaving this cabin to see Kahina without some assistance. Like a ragdoll, Ajax picked Ben up by his ankle and dragged him behind him. Not that Ben cared.

The sun was rising early into the sky and Ben could already feel the warm rays radiating down onto his skin. He could tell they had reached their destination when the familiar clinking of gold jewellery grew louder and louder and then stopped. Ben didn't even have to look to know what he would wake up to.

Slowly opening one single eye he saw Kahina blocking out the sun's rays with an equally bright smile. She leaned down until their faces were level with each other and asked the question again. At least that's what Ben thought she asked, he could barely make out anything this early in the morning. With a wince he slowly moved his head from side to side. Kahina's excited grin turned into a disappointed pout. She offered a small apology to Gwen and Kevin and patted Ben's shoulder out of what Ben believed to be sympathy. She turned to her two lieutenants who were waiting idly by her side and gave them the orders to continue their training.

Everything moved around him as though he were in a dream. White light clouded some areas in his vision and he was only aware of a few things. he could just make out Kevin shooting him a worn out glare before walking away with his sword dragging limply behind him like a soldier leaving a battlefield instead of walking towards one. Gwen walked ahead of Ben and turned around a few times to see where he was, in the end choosing to just keep walking instead of to wait for him to get up.

The vision of the cloudless sky was replaced with Bellatrix's frown. Her mouth moved and a few sounds came out, but nothing Ben could understand as English. She slapped his face a few times and like a switch he was able to make out a few words. Helping him to his feet yet again she gave him a soft push forward and the two walked their way up the mountain. And so another day in paradise was to begin.

The sun was hotter than Ben remembered it to be and the climb up was longer. By the time he had reached the top his whole body shook. The time between him getting to the top and grabbing his weapon was a blur and all he knew now was he was standing in the exact same position as he was the day before. He raised the bow and arrow just as a muscle in his arm contorted and he was forced to lower it yet again. Repeatedly he tried to shoot only to drop his arms to his sides.

The unforgiving rays stung the nape of his neck repeatedly and sweat trickled down his chin into a puddle on the floor which evaporated in seconds.

"Day two." He muttered to himself over and over again after each failed attempt. It was only Day two.

He looked helplessly to his left to watch Gwen fire her latest bull's eye. Sweat clutched her hair to her face and her chest was rising and falling heavily, but she made sure to pay it no mid. A full night's sleep clearly had done wonders for her. Ben grimaced, letting out a short grunt of pain he tried to fire his arrow, but fell short. It hurt to simply raise his arms and with a choked wheeze he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Stop being a baby, Benjamin." Bellatrix reprimanded and moved to his side. She raised his arms into the correct angle and shushed his complaints. Placing an arrow in his grip she moved back a few steps and looked him up and down finally seeming content with his stance and aim.

"Now, Benjamin. If you don't shoot now I will make you do three laps with myself chasing you and unlike my subordinates I will not find the mercy to miss."

Ben took a nervous gulp, but it was like swallowing sandpaper. Licking his chapped lips and with a new-found determination he steadied his trembling limbs and tried his hardest to ignore the cramp building in his side. Bellatrix tapped her front hoof impatiently and flicked her tail from side to side watching Ben's antics with a non-existent anticipation. Ben drew the arrow back and with a moment of clarity fired. Only to watch it fly past the target, past the battered tree and straight down the cliff slope. Ben looked to Bellatrix to see what she had to say. To his delight she didn't seem half as upset as he pictured.

"Well don't just stand there like a lost foal. Go get it. I'll be waiting for you here until you return."

Ben nodded his head, too tired to speak and made the long winding trek down the path and into the forest where he thought the arrow was. Surprisingly the forest was a great deal cooler than the training grounds and it felt like he was stepping out of a bustling street into an air-conditioned office. He immediately felt more awake. He breathed in the new refreshing smell and walked with a new energy while the sun was kept thankfully hidden behind thick folds of green fauna unable to touch him. Beating off the leaves, branches and bugs seemed to be getting easier for him with each step he took and happily Ben arrived in an area that seemed just below the cliff face of the training ground.

Wiping the murky sweat off his face he looked around for the familiar golden feather of the arrow. A fletching he thought Bellatrix had called it. A light caught his eye and he could just make out a long thin, golden rod shooting out of a bush. Carefully, he moved over rocks and managed to avoid getting his foot snagged in uplifted roots and dead tree branches. He was about to pull it out when he noticed what it was attached to.

It was as large as over-fed dog and covered in various shades of grey downy feathers. Its hidden head was caught in the bush and its clawed feet kicked out limply in its last dying moments. Panic seized Ben and he screamed up the cliff face waving frantically, whatever pain he had left being replaced with adrenalin.

"Bellatrix! Bellatrix! I killed something! I think I killed something!"

The two girl's heads bobbed over the cliff's edge to where Ben stood barely taller than an action figure.

"Is that a bird?" Gwen screamed down trying to get a closer look at the thing twitching beside her cousin. Bellatrix held a protective hand in front of Gwen preventing her from going any further and pushed her lightly to move her back. She gave a few commands to Gwen and eventually Gwen left. Bellatrix peered down questioningly at Ben, but spoke after a short time.

"I'm coming, Benjamin." She stood up and disappeared from view. Not a second later she leaped into the air and her hooves gracefully caught the cliff face, skiing down the gravel like she was surfing on land. Sand flew in all directions like foaming waves and what little distance was left between them she cantered over. There was a knowingness behind her scowl as she angled her stance from left to right trying to get a good idea of the creature. Looking to Ben she tilted her chin towards it.

"Show me its head." Ben looked down at the dead bird and his face scrunched up. A shiver ran up and down his spine at the idea of touching a dead thing that was still flinching, but from the sound of her voice it seemed she was going to cover for him so he couldn't really complain too much.

It didn't look it, but the thing weighed a ton, well to his broken muscles it did anyway. With all the strength he could muster he tried to draw it out of the bush but some of what seemed to be like thin strands of what he guessed to be feathers were hooked on some thorns. With one last tug Ben lost his footing on some loose dirt and fell headfirst onto the ground below, his grip on the bird still tight. This luckily seemed to be all he needed to pull the head out of the bush just enough to be able to be seen in plain view.

Rubbing his head Ben felt a bump forming and he knew from enough soccer practices that a concussion wasn't entirely out of the question. He looked to Bellatrix to see if she was upset at all and once he saw her face his heart stopped.

She was panicking. Not just panicking. She looked scared.

It was written all over her face. Her eyes were widened, her lips quivered and her sun-kissed skin paled. She was now looking frantically for an arrow, her breath quickening with every rapid movement she made.

"Harpie! Harpie!" She screamed loud enough that Gwen dipped her head over the edge, gasped and ran down the hill to the training grounds.

Ben stood up straight, still clutching his head and walked around so he could see the creature's face. Harpies sounded familiar, but for the life of him he couldn't remember where from. His whole body froze and he fought back the lump building in his throat when he finally was able to see it.

The head was of an old senior woman with pitch, black eyes hidden under layers and layers of wrinkles. Her mess of yellow fangs were needle-like and stuck out at all angles, purple blood bubbling through the gaps in a dark froth and pouring down her face and neck. The arrow Ben fired stuck out her neck in a strange angle and also leaked the same black liquid. Ben could feel himself convulsing at the sight of it and in an instant he looked around for Bellatrix to see what he this meant. Her front legs were pounding the air and she was aiming three bright red arrows straight into the sky. They scattered into the air and exploded into red powder which soared through the air and to different parts of the forest. More arrows of the same colour burst with an audible clap from different areas and spread so rapidly the entire sky was soon bathed in a red glow.

"Harpies are attacking! Lady Kahina is in danger!"

Author's Note: Hello everyone long time no see! And for those who just started this story welcome. I really appreciate constructive criticism especially when it comes to if you think a character is too OOC or if you wish to comment on my OCs. My writing style may be a smidge different since it really has been a while, but hopefully you can't tell or it's an improvement. Feel free to PM for any questions you may have and I'm really sorry for the long wait.

Until next time!

~Necrofriggian Xx