Sakura Kudo requested this one. Here you go, amigo! Enjoy! Ben 10 and all characters associated with the show belong to Cartoon Network and Man Of Action. I own nothing!
Rachel and Pesky Dust
Rachel was outside having some fun with Big Chill, running away as he was playfully chasing her when all of a sudden, something pinched Rachel's neck and she grabbed it fast, finding it to be a small dart before she began to feel sleepy. She heard Big Chill call her name before a shot was fired and Rachel fell to the ground, unconscious.
When she woke up about an hour later, she was aware of something very cold on her wrists and opened her eyes to find herself on a steel table, strapped down by steel cuffs.
"You're awake, I see," said a voice and she looked up to see a strange person come in. She immediately didn't like him at all.
"Who are you?" she asked. "What do you want?"
"I'm Kyber, and I'm a hunter," he said. "I've finally caught you, but in a show of sport, I will let you run and I will attempt to find you. It makes it more…interesting."
"You're disgusting and sick!" Rachel exclaimed. "Let me free at once!"
"Very well, because the game begins now."
With that, Rachel felt the cuffs let go and she fell down a smooth tunnel and landed at the bottom, thankfully unhurt. She tried her communicator, but couldn't get any signal out, realizing that Kyber had scrambled the signal so that she couldn't call out for help.
"I can help you," said a soft, trilling voice.
Rachel turned to find a strange alien in a cage to her right. It was a small one that looked like a cross between a fairy and an elf. Rachel's natural curiosity was roused as she went closer to the cage.
"Hello," she said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Pesky Dust," he said to her. "I'm the only thing Kyber is afraid of."
Rachel looked at the small alien. "Why would Kyber be afraid of a small, harmless alien like you?" she asked, opening the cage with the key she found on the wall and letting Pesky Dust out.
"I may be small," he said. "But I'm powerful."
"What can you do then?"
"Watch."
Kyber came down with one of his animals and saw Pesky Dust free of the special cage he built. "No!" Kyber exclaimed, fear crossing his face. "Not you!"
"Sleepy time," Pesky trilled softly as he pointed his finger at Kyber and made the hunter fall asleep and then entered his dream to find out how both he and Rachel could get out. After finding out, Pesky appeared beside Rachel again and Kyber woke up with a gasp of fear.
"Please," he begged pitifully. "You are both free. Leave now, please."
"A hunter freeing us? What's the idea?" Rachel asked confused.
"Please, don't put me to sleep again," Kyber begged. "Anything but that."
Pesky Dust let out a soft laugh. "Come on, Rachel," he said. "Follow me."
The two left the hunter there pleading to be left alone. Rachel then realized that Pesky must have entered Kyber's dream and done something to scare the hunter. "Sorry about thinking you were harmless earlier, Pesky," she said. "I didn't mean to offend you."
"It's okay," said the fairy-elf alien. "I'm used to it."
They soon portal jumped to Earth. Rachel was so happy to be home that she raced through the front door, Pesky following right behind her.
Chromastone was the first to see Rachel run in and at once stood up and caught her as she suddenly tripped on the carpet. He held her in a tight hug.
"Oh, little one," he said, hugging her harder when she started to cry a little. "Shh, I'm here."
"Chromo," she hiccupped out his name, hugging her guardian as hard as she could.
Pesky came into view and smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "She'll be alright now."
He went to leave when Rachel suddenly turned to him. "Pesky, wait!" she said.
"Yes?" he softly trilled at her.
Rachel looked at him. "You can live here with us, if you want," she said. "You saved me from Kyber."
Pesky smiled at her. "May I?" he asked Chromostone.
With a smile, Chromostone placed a hand on his charge's shoulder. "Welcome, Pesky. Thank you for saving my young charge," he said.
"You're welcome," Pesky said. "And thank you."
That night, Rachel was in bed but images of Kyber kept spinning in her head, making it hard to sleep and a few times, she thought she felt a dart hit her neck. She sighed as she tried again to go to sleep.
"Rachel?" asked a trilling voice. "Are you okay?"
Rachel looked up to see Pesky Dust sitting on her bed next to her supine form. "I can't sleep, Pesky," she said.
The small alien hummed in thought for a moment and then began to trill softly, making sounds that were musical and soothing. After a few minutes, Rachel felt herself falling asleep, listening to the soothing melody.
"Pesky," she whispered softly. "Thanks…little brother."
Pesky smiled as he watched her fall asleep and settled down beside her. "You're welcome, big sister," he said as he then gave her a kiss on the forehead and then settled down, not knowing that Chromostone was watching from the doorway.
Smiling, Chromastone came in and gently lifted Pesky up in his arms and placed him under the covers beside Rachel, tucking both of them in, stroking Pesky's head in a fatherly way as he then kissed Rachel on the forehead. "Good night, my little ones," he said in a low voice as he went to his own room, leaving the two to their peaceful dreams as night fully settled in.