Hey sorry for the wait. Just a forewarning, it might get a little messy at the end, but I couldn't figure out how to make it better without going on for another page and half of useless stuff.

I do not own Ben 10

The red sun was just starting to climb over the flat horizon as the traders loaded the last bit of cargo into the cart. The six train-car sized, covered wagons were pulled by an alien creature that looked like a giant, ostrich. The smallest of the bird-like creatures stood a little over eight feet, the tallest around twelve, and they were all covered in light, grey features. Men in slightly grungy attire jogged back and forth, checking supplies and the wagons, calling to each other occasionally.

Ben stepped out from the temple's shade and stretched, his joints cracking as he moved. His airy clothing was covered by a rough, grey cloak to fend off the pre-dawn's chill. He hadn't understood why anyone would want to wear anything but the bear minimum in this climate when Alda has given it to him yesterday while the trio had been packing. Now he was thankful Gwen had nagged him and Kevin until they had agreed to wear them. The difference between day and night temperatures were more drastic than the teen had thought possible.

Brownie meowed near his feet, making her presence known. The reminder wasn't needed. The supposed guardian had been a constant shadow for the boy since he had woken up. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to not have someone with you at all hours of the day.

"You really think this is a good idea?" The voice spooked the teen and he flinched before turning to find Kevin watching him, leaning against a pillar of the temple. Ben shrugged and returned to watching the preparations.

"We don't have much of a choice right now. Jeban's friend is our only chance. Unless you have a better idea, that's the plan." Kevin's expression darkened at being reminded of his situation, his independent instincts fighting against the need for help. He huffed and joined the younger teen in the morning light.

"Yeah, well that doesn't mean I have to like it." He crossed his arms over his chest, the epitome of reluctance. Ben chuckled, earning a quirked eyebrow from his companion.

"Do you really ever like anything?" A sly grin slid over the Omnitrix wielder's face. "Besides Gwen, I mean?" His time fighting aliens had honed Ben's skill, but he still only just dodged the annoyed back aimed for his head. A smile pulled at his lips as he danced away from Kevin's next attack. A sense of easiness settled hand over him. This was normal. They were just two regular teenagers. They didn't hold the weight of the world on their shoulders. They weren't millions of miles away from home, there was no secret war, and no ancient race out for his blood.

"Get back here, Tennyson!" The blush growing over the sixteen year-old's face only increased the brunette's laughter. The alien cat merely sat back on its haunches and watched the boys, tail flicking back and forth in amusement. It hadn't taken long for the creature to learn that Kevin wasn't a threat and the bickering between the trio was as certain as the sunrise.

Ben gasped in alarm as pink energy wrapped around his ankle and pulled. His balance thrown off, the boy landed on the sandy ground with a grunt and a loud expletive confirmed the same had happened to his 'adversary'. "Seriously, I leave you two alone for five minutes and you end up fighting again. What was it this time?" Ben grinned up at Gwen. The dark look on her face stopped any teasing remarks though. It shouldn't be possible for her to be so much like his mom. "Ben, just because you're officially healed doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Take it easy."

The energy disappeared and the boys dusted themselves off. Brownie came over and twisted around Gwen's legs. The girl giggled and bent to pet the creature.

"Looks like Alda was righ' when she tol' me ya all were a weird lot. I jus' didn' think you'd be this odd." The hearty laugh that followed the comment made all three teens turn to the speaker. He was a large man, his chest and arms bulging with muscles and his skin deeply tanned from hours in the sun. Grey hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck and a trimmed beard covered his square jaw. A grin made deep wrinkles form on his weathered skin.

"Uh, thanks I guess." Ben shuffled nervously. The man towered over him and one only had to glance at him to see that he knew how to handle himself. The boy's hand subconsciously moved under his cloak to touch the Omnitrix. He could sense Kevin and Gwen tense behind him.

"There is nothing to fear." The trio turned to find Alda and Jeban walking toward them. "Sobe is a good man. He will make sure you reach your destination safely." Sobe beamed at the praise and chuckled.

"I don' usually transport people, but I'll make an exception this time, Lady Alda." He planted his hands on his hips and looked down at the trio. "This is 'im? Well boy, I'd definitely not imagine ya were the great Ben Tennyson." Said teen frowned and Kevin snickered. "My name is Sobe. Nice ta meet ya." He thrust his hand out and they each took turns shaking the giant appendage and introducing themselves. "I'm the leader of this lot. If ya ever need any help, jus' come see me." One of the men shouted something to the giant and the man excused himself, his loud curses being returned with equally strong language as he went to go fix whatever had gone wrong. Kevin smirked and relaxed his tense stance.

"This might not be so bad after all." Gwen elbowed him the stomach and rolled her eyes, mumbling something about stupid boys under her breath.

"Make sure to take caution, you three." The trio frowned as Jeban stepped froward to speak. "The battles of your past won't be anything compared to those yet to come. Refrain from drawing attention to yourselves," at this, the old man looked directly at Ben, "especially you, Young Master. I suggest you not use the Omnitrix unless all other avenues have been barred. The enemy has many forms." Dipping at the waist in a respectful bow, the leader of the temple smiled. "May your travels be safe and easy. You will always have friends here if the need should ever arise."

"Thank you, for everything." Ben offered the same bow and Gwen soon followed, though it took a glare from the cousins to get Kevin to do the same. Ben turned to Alda and preformed the same bow. "You too. If it wasn't for you, we probably wouldn't be here right now." The woman nodded and smiled.

"May the gods go with you."

"'ey! Ya three! 'urry up or we'll leave ya behind." The loaded wagons had started out, a trail of dust kicked up by the wheels slowly settling in their wake. Sobe sat at the front of the remaining one, reigns in hand. With one last wave toward the two temple residents, Ben, Gwen, and Kevin rushed over to the wagon and jumped in. With a loud squawk, the bird-like creature pulling the wagon set off in a run, chasing after the rest of the group. The Bekil temple slowly crept past the horizon as the sun climbed into the sky.

Ignoring the sweat trickling down the small of her back, Gwen pulled her wayward hair behind her ear and turned to watch the endless desert pass by. Hours had passed since they had left the safety and the comfort of the temple behind. The sun had risen, reached its zenith, and had almost finished its decent. The red orb was like a giant flame on the horizon, casting everything in an orange glow.

She had situated herself at the opened back of the wagon, legs dangling over the edge, her calves died yellow by the kicked up sand. A dry breeze blew through the cart and her hair was once again tugged from its spot to flail in the wind. With an exasperated sigh, the redhead pulled her wild hair down and waited for the breeze to end.

She couldn't wait to be back home. This new adventure had sounded exciting at first, but the heat and itchy sand had quickly ruined any fun the trio was having. What was worse was her lack of company. The boys had found a clear spot in between some of the cargo and had fallen asleep a while ago. The Anodite envied them.

Bored of looking at the same scene for the last two hours, Gwen returned to the slightly cooler air in the shade of the wagon. A quick glance showed that both of her boys were still asleep and that Brownie had joined them, the alien curled up on a crate next to the sleeping teens. Her eyes strayed over the forms of her two companions. They hadn't even been gone for more than a week and Gwen could already see how the journey was affecting them. Even though his wound had healed and was no longer causing him pain, Ben still curled in on himself, keeping his chest hidden. Kevin's shoulders were tense and his lips were pulled into a thin line. She sighed and moved toward the front of the wagon.

"Everythin' alrigh' there, girl?" The concerned voice brought her out of her musings and she found their giant guide glancing back at her. She tried to smile encouragingly, but the stern look the man was giving her told her it hadn't worked. Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time, the redhead shook her head. Sobe's gaze softened and he patted the seat next to him. "Come here. Sounds like ya could use the company."

Gwen nodded her thanks and was helped up to the driver's seat by a helping hand. Once she was settled, Sobe went back to guiding the large bird pulling the wagon. Silence passed over the pair until the man finally cleared his throat. "Not much longer 'til we get to the campsite. The head of the train should be settin' up camp 'bout now." The redhead frowned.

"Why don't you travel at night? Wouldn't it be easier when its cooler?" The leader of the traders grinned.

"Usually, that would make sense. There's a problem with that plan though." A troubled expression passed over his features and his eyes glazed over as if in memory. "Ya see, the desert out here is controlled by pirates. There are at leas' three major groups out here and they attack at night jus' for that same reason. It's easier to escape in the cold and when there's no light. They've been causing problems for several years now." Sobe shook his head and sighed. "I lost too much cargo cause of those thieves."

"Why hasn't anyone tried to stop them? Isn't there some sort of police force to take care of them?" The trader's expression darkened and he growled.

"No, there ain't. At leas' not for the simple folk like me and the others. The king don't care much about what happens to us and he's the one that controls those good-for-nothin' soldiers. People have tried to get rid of the pirates without their help. There are jus' too many to take out without military aid." The giant noticed the perturbed look on Gwen's face and smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry though, girl. I haven't had any of my men die from a pirate attack in years. I'm not 'bout to let ya three get hurt." The kind, fatherly smile he gave was contagious and Gwen felt her fear slip away.

"Thank you. For everything" She was hushed by a dismissive hand and anther toothy grin.

"No worries. I friend of Lady Alda's is friend of mine an' I'm always willin' to help a friend." Gwen nodded and watched the sun vanish beneath the horizon. There was something about the man that calmed her nerves and gave her a sense of peace, even on this alien planet millions of miles from home. The two companions turned as someone yawned and shuffled around in the back. Seconds later, Ben joined them, face betraying his drowsiness.

"What'd I miss?" He stretched his arms above his head and yawned deeply. "Are we there yet?" Gwen rolled her eyes and shot a glare at her cousin as Sobe laughed heartily.

"Not yet, lad. We're 'bout a day outside of the city. We're goin' be stoppin' soon for the night. Ya might as well wake up your friend. I doubt he'll enjoy missin' dinner." The brunette nodded and went to rouse the third teenager. Gwen sighed and let her head fall into her palm as an irate shout seemed to shake the large wagon. The giant trader just guffawed and glanced back to see what the boys were doing. "They sure are lively aren't they?"

The redhead sighed, the sound full of exasperation. "They're always like that." A light smile crossed the girl's face. "They're both idiots sometimes, but they're my idiots." Sobe chuckled and smiled down at her.

"Ya three are good kids. I'll make sure ya get to where ya need to be. Ya don't need to worry." Gwen nodded and leaned back against the chair's back. She could already see the rest of the group on the horizon. It wasn't long until they pulled up behind the second-to-last wagon and completed the circle. The two teenage boys jumped from the transport and all but ran to the growing fire as the smell of food wafted over to them. Gwen and Sobe followed them at a more relaxed pace.

Ben had ignored the look his cousin had given him and Kevin as they eagerly shoveled the dinner – a stew-like substance with meat, bread, and little purple globs that the brunette made sure to discretely push to the edge of his plate– into their seemingly bottomless stomachs. Sobe laughed heartily at their antics, clearly happy to see them enjoying the food so much. The other men of the wagon train had either followed the two teenagers' lead or finished setting up camp.

The night was cold. The smoky, green moon that had fascinated the trio when they had first arrived was gone, the new moon nearly invisible in the dark sky. The planet had few stars near it that were bright enough to cast more than a small speck of weak light in the night sky. The wind had also picked up, swirling sand around and shrieking in between the sparse spacing between the wagons. The camp's members all had had their cloaks wrapped tightly around themselves to stave off the harsh wind and cold. It hadn't been long until, one by one, the large party of people dissipated and went to bed.

Ben sat before the dying fire, absent-mindedly poking the dying coals. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there and didn't really care. His earlier nap had given him more energy than he had expected and his body refused to cooperate and sleep. The brunette glared at the tent Sobe had given them. Gwen and Kevin had retired almost two hours ago and he envied them. After they had left, the only other people forced to be awake at this god-forsaken hour were the guards and he doubted they would enjoy the distraction. So he was doomed to wait until morning and hope that he could find something to keep him busy. Until then, he would just have to wait.

Something rubbed against his leg and he started in surprise. Looking down, he found Brownie winding herself around his legs. Smiling slightly, he reached down and gently scratched behind the creature's ears. "I thought you had gone to bed." The alien glanced up at him for a moment before nudging his hand. Ben chuckled and returned to petting the cat, his face pensive. "You know, I can't tell if you really understand ore not when you do that. Can't you give me more of sign so I don't feel like I'm losing my mind?" She just leaned into his fingers and the half-purr rumbled in her chest. The teen sighed. "Alright. Fine, I get it."

An animal cried in the distance and Ben felt the hairs on his arms stand up. Sobe hadn't mentioned anything about dangerous wildlife, but the call seemed as foreboding as a wolf's. It took him a minute to calm his nerves and he silently berated himself for his jumpiness. He had obviously watched one too many old horror films lately. The wail started up again and Brownie tensed under his fingertips. Dread slithered into his stomach and he absentmindedly scratched at the scar on his cheek. "Maybe we should go see if its anything to worry about."

The dragon-cat seemed more than willing to comply and started over toward the nearest guard's post. It took all his self-control to not push back the shirt's large sleeve up and ready the Omnitrix. Jeban's warning still rang fresh in his mind and he reluctantly kept his hands at his side.

The wind grew stronger as soon as they stepped outside of the circle of wagons and Ben staggered at the sudden force. At his feet, Brownie held her wings close to her body and hunkered down as close to the ground as possible. The giant wagons blocked out the light of the fire and the teen blinked several times to get his eyes adjusted to the loss of light.

"Hello?" He frowned when no one responded. He was sure that a guard had been here a while ago and they were stationed close enough together that they didn't need to move much. A third cry from the animal set every nerve on edge. "Anyone there?" The sand shifted silently under his feet as he started to walk the length of the wagon. His foot caught on something and he stumbled forward. Righting himself, he turned back to get a better look at what had tripped him.

Lifeless eyes stared back at him, opened in an endless stare. Dropping to his knees, Ben quickly sought a pulse and cursed when he couldn't find one. The creature at his side sniffed the body and growled. Ignoring the animal, the teen set off at a run for Sobe's tent.

The space between the wagons felt smaller than when he had last walked through it. The warm, friendly light the fire had filled the camp with now felt cold. "Sobe!" His feet sunk into the ground and he faltered. Someone moved behind him and the boy felt rough hands grab him before he could fully turn. Worn clothing scratched against his cheek and neck as his attack held his arms behind his back and an arm encircled his neck. A few seconds of struggling proved useless and only made his attacker's hold on him tighten.

The man at his back muttered something to someone behind him and make a strange birdcall. It was quickly answered and suddenly the camp burst into life. People flooded through the camp's protective circle , swords and other weapons glinting in the firelight. Dog-like creatures ran next to them. The raiders jumped into the wagons and began pulling people out and throwing them onto the sand. The train's workers struggled against their captors, but the pirates were just as husky as them and kept them in check.

Ben felt his abductor push him forward and walk him to where the others were being held. He quickly saw that Kevin and Gwen had joined the group, though not willingly. Sobe looked infuriated but a speck of fear was evident in his stare. The reason for his fear was brought out as a man nearly as larger as the train's leader pulled out a wicked curved sword and held it to the nearest worker. The teen had just enough time to close his eyes but he could still hear the sword slash across the man's neck and his head fall to the sand with a wet slap. Gwen's gasp could be heard over the outraged shouts of the other traders. Unfortunately, that got the killer's attention and he grinned, baring down on the redhead.

"No!" Ben let his legs bend and shifted his weight. He kicked out at his attacker's leg and leaned forward, pulling the man forward with him. His center of balance changed, the man toppled over him and landed on his back. The teen didn't look back at the man as he sprinted toward the large swordsman, silently thanking Gwen for all those self-defense lessons. The killer just looked at him, curiosity and confusion written over his features. Hands grabbed the Omnitrix-wielder form behind again and he struggled wildly.

"Ben!" The shout sounded distorted, as if he was underwater. "Tennyson! What the hell is wrong with you?" Desperation fueling his actions, the teen spun in the grip and landed a hit to his restrainer's face. He released him with a surprised yelp. Ben turned to sprint to his cousin but found his hands and ankles bound and he fell face-first to the ground.

"Ben! Wake up! Stop it! We're not going to hurt you! It's not real!" This time he could identify the new voice as Gwen, the clarity slowly getting better. His brain tried to make sense of the his cousins words, but his body urged him onward. He could hear her next to him, feel his powers wrapped around him, but his eyes told him she was sitting by the fire, glaring at the man who was about to kill her.

"Gw..." His world burred and he felt cold water rush down his face and soak the front of his shirt. He sputtered as the liquid ran into his mouth and strained his neck to look at the group of hostages. They had disappeared and had been replaced by disgruntled workers, watching him with looks varying between concern and anger. All evidence of the raid had disappeared. "Huh?"

"Ben?" He turned as much as the pink energy would allow him to and looked at the redhead. Kevin stood behind her, nursing a broken lip. "You alright?" The question seemed so absurd after what he had just seen that he had to clamp his mouth shut to keep from laughing in her face. Instead, he nodded numbly. The brunette glanced around the camp, suddenly self-conscious of all the stares.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing really just that you started screaming bloody murder and attacking anyone in sight!" Kevin's voice had started out nonchalant but slowly gained volume and emotion until he was yelling. Several of the men nodded in agreement and huffed in annoyance. Ben stared at the older teen.

"What are you talking about? What happened to the pirates?" It was Kevin's turn to stare at the brunette.

"There weren't any pirates, lad. I just checked with the guards. They haven't seen anything the entire night." Sobe shouldered through the crowd and stood over the bound teen.

"What? No, I saw him. He's dead. I'll show you." He glanced at Gwen and, with a sigh, she released him. He jumped to his feet, ignoring the pounding headache that was starting to form and led the group over to where he had found the guard's body. He gaped at the empty space under the wagon, bereft of anything. "What? But he was right here a few minutes ago! I saw him!"

"Ben," the boy turned at his cousin's soft call and frowned. "You've been asleep. It was all a dream."

"No! I'm sure! I saw him," but his confidence had disappeared as he stared at the sand. The was no way it was a dream. It had too realistic. A heavy hand on his shoulder brought him back from his musings and he looked up into Sobe's weathered face.

"Let's get back to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us in the morning." the man walked away dismissing the rest of the workers. Kevin and Gwen waited behind each watching him with varying degrees of concern.

"C'mon, Ben. It was just a nightmare. We should take Sobe's advice a get some sleep." She smiled wearily and strode back to the tent. Kevin stood there for a moment, arms crossed before his chest.

"You believe me don't you?" The younger boy's green eyes pleaded with him. The ex-criminal shrugged.

"I don't know, man. You seemed pretty much asleep, but it wouldn't be the first time you started acting weird. Whatever you were fighting, was real enough for you to give me this." He punctuated his statement with a jab toward his split lip. "Just don't make it a nightly thing, Tennyson. We have enough problems without you going insane." The dark-haired teen turned to leave.

"Thanks, Kevin. I think."

"Yeah whatever. Just know," Kevin flashed a wicked smile over his shoulder. "Next time you hit me like that I won't be so forgiving." He disappeared back into the tent and Ben sighed. He looked at the tent and shook his head. There was no way he was going to sleep now. He returned to the fire and sat next to Brownie, stroking her spine in comfort as she twisted and turned in a dream.