Author's Note: I'm baaaaack! This is my newest ficcy for those who are, out of sheer fate, dedicated to Ayeka yet think she could use a few changes. One of which, is a series switch. In this fic, Ayeka is a resident of Crystal Tokyo! (Oh the possibilities!)
Ayeka Jurai looked at the scene outside her window and sighed. What she'd give to go out and play… "Ayeka!" She turned towards her bedroom door and her father appeared. He smiled with relief and said, "When you weren't in your office I started to get worried. Tell me when you don't feel well enough to study, Okay?"
It was the same line as before. Ayeka nodded. "Yes, Daddy." Lord Azusa, a leading figure in Crystal Tokyo's politics, grinned and came in.
"Here, let's get you into bed," he said. Ayeka sighed and allowed her small, ten-year-old body to get lifted out of her chair and placed gently on her strange bed. It had been designed by none other than Lady Mercury, the best doctor in the world, for helping patients recover from various energy-draining illnesses. After a good night's sleep or a nap Ayeka felt fine, but after a few hours she started to tire. The bed wasn't the most comfortable because it was made of crystal, but it had been designed to help people sleep.
When Ayeka woke from her nap, it was mid-afternoon. She sat up, feeling better than she had in a long time. With a smile, she got out of bed and put on some clean clothes. The sun was shining, breezes stirred the leaves in the trees and only death could keep her inside. She stuck her head out into the hall and looked around. Her red eyes saw no one. A minute later, her purple head disappeared out the front door.
It was as gorgeous as she'd thought. Late spring was always this beautiful, but actually walking around in it was different from seeing it. She went down the street along the sidewalk to the park she knew was just down the block. The tall, majestic buildings of Crystal Tokyo rose up on either side giving her a safe and secure feeling. Trees, perfectly trimmed and cared for, were positioned every twenty feet or so on the sidewalks, offering shade. Her white and purple dress swished softy as she walked around the park. The swings and slides looked dangerous, almost everything did. She found a bench and sat to watch the other children play.
There were parents standing around chatting, keeping one eye on a single or a few bouncing heads. A particularly large group, about six adults in all, seemed to be watching all the children in addition to their own. This was how Ayeka was noticed, because she seemed to appear out of nowhere with no parent to guide her and help her to a swing.
A tall blond woman with blue eyes noticed Ayeka sitting by herself on the bench just watching the other children. The other five young women noticed their friend's distraction and looked over as well. "Where's her parents?" a raven-hared beauty said.
Just as she spoke, a little girl of about seven with pink hair noticed Ayeka sitting by herself. She jumped off the swing and ran over. Ayeka looked up at the girl, a little startled. The girl smiled and said, "Hi! My name is Rini, what's yours?"
Ayeka smiled a bit. "Ayeka. It's nice to meet you, Rini." Rini looked at Ayeka closely, then laughed.
"We have the same eyes! I never thought I'd meet anyone with my eye color!" Rini said. She grabbed Ayeka's hand and said, "Come on! Let's go use the swings." And so they did.
Rini's mother, the blond, watched silently for a bit as Rini started to push Ayeka in the swing. "I wonder who she is, I've never seen her around here before," she said.
The blue-hared mother next to her was frowning. "She looks rather pale, maybe she doesn't get out much." In reality, she had noticed that it was more than just Ayeka's complexion that didn't seem healthy, the girl looked as fragile as glass.
Then a brunette spoke. "Serena, does she seem familiar to you?"
Serena, Queen of Crystal Tokyo (the blond) frowned. "You get that feeling, too? I just can't seem how she could though."
Rey (the black-hared one) blinked. "You know who she reminds me of? Hotaru when Rini first met her. Except…she isn't Hotaru." They grew quiet. Sailor Saturn had defeated the Dark Moon single-handedly in this time line, but at a cost. Certain events the Sailors had come to expect didn't seem likely to happen.
The group was grim for a moment, then Serena's ears caught a worried tone in Rini's high voice. "—you Okay?" She looked up and saw the other kids were watching the new girl. Rini had one hand on the girl's shoulder and her face was worried. Serena tapped Amy's shoulder and the doctor looked up. They traded a look and Amy nodded. She got to her feet and walked over to the swings.
The children became even more interested as an adult entered the scene. Rini looked up, her eyes fearful. "What's wrong?" Amy asked Rini's new friend. The girl's head was bowed and she had a hand to her chest.
"My—my Daddy. I need—my Daddy," the girl panted. Amy frowned and rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. Her miniature super computer appeared and she opened it. It ran a quick scan of the girl's body and blipped results. Amy felt fear grip her gut. Whatever ailed this child wasn't any normal disease.
"Ayeka? Do you need to go home?" Rini asked.
Amy blinked. Ayeka? Wasn't that the name of Lord Azusa's daughter? "Ayeka Jurai?" she asked. The girl's dark head nodded. Amy had never gotten a chance to meet Ayeka, now she knew why. Amy picked the girl up, she was amazingly light, and said, "Let's get you home. Where's your father?"
Ayeka leaned her head on Amy's shoulder, her eyelids already drooping. "At…home…need…sleep…" The other scouts present came over. Lita, Mina, Serena, Rey and Michiru came over looking concerned.
"She's Ayeka, Lord Azusa's daughter. It seems she came out on her own, but I'm taking her to the hospital," Amy said firmly. There was anger in her eyes. Judging from her information, Ayeka had been like this so long she had little resistance left to whatever was sapping her energy. Azusa should have said something or gotten professional help.
Rey looked at Ayeka, asleep already in Amy's arms, and said, "I'll go tell him. Where does he live?"
Michiru pointed. "Just go out the south park entrance and turn left. His home is right next to mine, it's the gray one." Rey nodded and left. Michiru sighed and said, "I guess Hime is coming home with me again." She meant the black-hared little girl playing tag with a group near the playground.
Serena looked at Ayeka and said, "Let's use my hopper, it's the closest." Amy nodded and Rini went to get Amy's twin sons Ryu and Ryan. They all got into Serena's crystal car, transports people referred to as 'hoppers.' It took only five minutes to reach the hospital because there was barely any traffic. When they got there, the staff leapt to their feet with the arrival of their boss.
"Lady Mercury! What is it?" asked a nurse. Amy looked back at Serena.
"Could you watch Ryu and Ryan for me? I'm going to get her settled," Amy said. Serena nodded and herded the children out. The nurse was staring.
"Was that Queen Serenity?" she asked. Amy sighed. Overall people didn't make that big a deal about it because Serena went out often, but it was still an experience for some folk.
"Yes, now we have to get a room ready for Ayeka Azusa, now." The nurse scampered off down the hall and Amy followed a bit slower towards the pediatrics unit. Ten minutes later, Ayeka was resting comfortably on a bed in a hospital gown as Amy finished her check-up. Yes, it was as she feared. There was something in Ayeka that was sapping her energy and storing it where she couldn't reach it.
As Amy turned to leave, Lord Azusa arrived. His face was a mask of anxiety. "Is she all right? What happened?"
Amy stepped back and let him come see Ayeka for himself. "She's having her energy drained and built up somewhere else. I can't see what's doing it, but it's as if her body wants to stay in a kind of stasis."
Azusa sighed and his shoulders drooped. He reached out and held one of Ayeka's small hands in his own large one. "It's what happened to her mother when she was young. Setsuna always warned me of this."
This caught Amy off guard. "Setsuna? As in…"
He nodded. "Lady Pluto is my wife. She warned me that our daughter would have a draining power inside her, but even as she warned me, I could see in her eyes that it would be one of those things that was inevitable." He turned to Amy. "Lady Mercury, the only way we've been able to treat her is by having her sleep on one of your crystal beds. When Ayeka was still an infant, Setsuna fed her her own energy. Once she no longer needed to do that, she…left." He looked rather sad and gloomy. Amy wondered what kind of heart it took to love and bind yourself to a woman you knew would never age or die and couldn't be with you. It was quite the long distance relationship.
Amy nodded. "I'll see what we can do."
Azusa looked up. "We?"
Amy smiled. "The Sailors. If what you say is true, then Ayeka is one of our own and we will do all we can to help find a better solution than naps."
Ayeka woke up and found herself in a room that wasn't hers. At first she felt panic rise in her, then a calm voice in her head said, Easy, Ayeka, you are in the hospital. My comrades are trying to find a way to heal you.
The girl's red eyes watered and a tear slid down her face. Mother, I feel so weak…
Shhh, be quiet. Do you remember what I told you to do when you meet Queen Serenity?
Ayeka reached up and wiped her tears off her cheeks. Yes.
The girl go the impression of a smile. Then you're all set. Don't worry, would I ever let anything bad happen to you?
You told me that when Pandora opened her box the only thing that she kept inside was foreboding. You wouldn't tell me if something was going to happen because then I wouldn't be able to be normal. Ayeka smiled to herself. When are you going to visit next?
Later, now take care of Small Lady for me, love you.
Ayeka didn't bother to say she loved her mother back, Setsuna knew it. The child lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, until someone came in quietly. She looked over and saw it was Rini. "Are you feeling better?" the pink-hared princess asked. Now she was wearing her white dress and hair pins and looked the part.
The girl on the bed smiled. "A bit, it's nice of you to ask."
Rini climbed onto the chair beside the bed and leaned her elbows on the pillow next to Ayeka. "My Mommy says your mommy is Puu."
"Puu?"
"Sailor Pluto."
"Oh, I guess. I just call her Mommy." Ayeka yawned and her eyelids drooped.
Rini looked alarmed. "Are you Okay? Should I get Mommy?"
Ayeka shook her head slowly. "I just need…some…sleep." Rini watched Ayeka's eyes close and ran from the room.
"Mommy!" she cried. Queen Serenity looked over from her discussion with all the other Scouts with the exception of Pluto and Saturn.
Serenity frowned. "Not now," she said.
Rini didn't take no for an answer and yanked on her mother's dress. "Ayeka went back to sleep again."
Mercury looked at Serenity. "It's the only thing we could think of." Serenity nodded sadly. "Then let's do it." They all followed Rini to Ayeka's room and surrounded the bed. Serenity held out her hands and the ginzuishou appeared. The other Scouts held hands and Mercury and Mars set a hand on Serenity's shoulders. The crystal glowed and its light bathed Ayeka in gold.
As it dimmed, another glow could be identified. On Ayeka's brow glowed a symbol, Pluto's symbol. The Sailors watched it slowly fade and Ayeka's eyes opened. She looked at Serenity and sat up. Bowing her head she said, "My Queen, I have been chosen to succeed my mother as Guardian of Time and she wishes for me to train with Small Lady." Silently, Ayeka was going over the speech again, hoping she had quoted it perfectly. Her mother had been insistent that she repeat it word for word, because a Pluto must always say only what she means to.
Serenity smiled. "Of course. I trust your mother knows best."
Author's Note: I don't own Sailor Moon or the characters from Tenchi Universe. I will be using the inner scouts' dubbed names, but the outer scouts had cool names in the original that weren't as confusing. Anyway, the next chapter will be set a few years later.