In case you're wondering, Kousagi is Usagi's second daughter from the
Materials Collection. At the end of the book, Naoko wrote a little parody
called "Parallel Sailor Moon", where Usagi had never become Sailor Moon and
had two children, Chibiusa and Kousagi. All of the Inner Senshi also had
children, each one basically a little copy of her mother. None of the
Inner Senshi's children like Kousagi; they think she's whiny and call her
the "human digestive organ." I don't want to give away a lot of the story,
so if you're interested, look up Parallel Sailor Moon or Kousagi Tsukino
and you're bound to find a translation or the original comic somewhere.
Since the mothers have the same names as their daughters, I'm going to try and make this as clear as possible. I wanted to use Chibi Rei, Chibi Ami, etc., but it doesn't fit with the original comic. Please let me know if there is any confusion. Also, since the Parallel Senshi (except for Kousagi) never had any attacks, I will use the Inner Senshi's attacks from BSSM and BSSMR.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor do I own the Parallel Senshi.
* * *
"Happy Birthday, Rei!" cried the guests. A tall brunette with a ponytail made her way through the crowd to place an extravagant cake on the table, lighting its recipient's face with an almost holy glow. The girl smiled happily, surrounded by piles of presents and dressed in a red party dress, looking almost like her mother, standing beside her in admiration. Both had long, raven hair with a violet undertone; their eyes the same shade of deep brown. After a moment of wistful consideration, Rei blew out the candles, and the room fell dark.
"Hurray!"
The lights came on again, and Rei wore a smug smile. Her friends now crowded around her, eager to get that first slice of birthday cake. The brunette in charge of serving the cake gave a stern glare to her identical daughter. "Mako, don't push! You'll get your turn! You too, Mina!" The girls ceased their shoving and, reluctantly cooperated for the current piece of cake. Rei slid from the chair and cut to the front of the line, causing the other children to angrily mutter.
"It's my birthday, so the first slice is mine," said Rei triumphantly, taking the offered plate. She quickly gave the other girls a raspberry and pulled her eyelid down before making her way back to the table. The girl called Mina, with waist-length blonde hair tied into a red ribbon and bright blue eyes, gave an exasperated sigh as she watched Rei strut away.
"She goes first even when it's not her birthday. That spoiled brat."
"Don't worry, what goes around comes around," said Mako, rolling her large green eyes.
"She'll probably eat so much that she'll get a stomachache," said Ami, a smaller girl with blue hair and eyes. She adjusted her glasses with a satisfied smile. "She always does, and Aunt Rei spends the evening worrying over her." The girls gave a satisfied nod and picked up their own plates. They were about to move towards the table when a loud, familiar voice pierced their ears...
"Is it cake time already? Kousagi almost missed cake!"
Large sweatdrops appeared on the back of the girls' heads as they froze in their steps. Whenever Kousagi appeared, there was never a moment's peace. Rei even took a moment to look up from her cake and glare angrily at the newcomer, then to the adults. "Who invited her?!"
The adults turned their heads at Kousagi's voice, and smiled as they saw her running into the room, still clutching pieces of candy from the piñata. Her face was sticky from already-eaten pieces of candy, and her pink hair was messy and curly, as usual. Usagi was just like her when she was younger, although she was a bit more concerned with cleanliness, and she rose from the group of adults to make her way towards Kousagi. "Kousagi, what took you so long? Everyone played with the piñata over a half-hour ago!"
"I broke it open on the first try. I grabbed as much candy as I could, and then everyone left. I guess they didn't want any, so I ate all I could," said Kousagi, smiling sheepishly. Her mother smiled and patted the cone- shaped buns that were her trademark hairstyle. "Mama, can I have some cake?"
"I don't see why not. In fact, I'll have some too," said Usagi, her long blonde pigtails swishing as she made her way to the food table, grabbing two plates laden with gigantic slices and handing one to her daughter. "Enjoy!"
Clutching her delicious prize, Kousagi ran towards the table where the other girls sat, giving her disgusted looks. "Hello! Happy Birthday, Rei! I'm having so much fun!" Kousagi was oblivious to her "friend's" sneers as she dug in to the delicious pastry, unintentionally smearing most of the icing on her face. "Chocolate! My favorite!"
Mina slumped down in frustration, and almost suddenly, sat erect again. She grinned evilly and leaned in towards the middle of the table, speaking in a quiet voice. "You guys, I have a great idea." The other girls looked at her questioningly and leaned in as Mina began to tell them of her plan in a low voice. They smirked and nodded their assent as Mina described the instructions, and turned to Kousagi, who was licking her plate happily.
"Oh! Rei, tell us the story of the party demon again!" said Mako in a loud stage voice. She stole a quick glance at Kousagi, who, as anticipated, had looked to the group in curiosity. Her large blue eyes were wide. "Party...demon?"
Rei looked at the younger girl in mock surprise. "You mean you haven't heard?"
Kousagi furiously shook her head back and forth. "No! Tell me!" She inched closer to the other girls, eagerly awaiting Rei's answer.
Cautiously, Rei looked at the adults. They were gossiping amongst each other, oblivious. Good. She sat on her knees and leaned into the table, her dark brown eyes serious. "There's a legend of a demon that makes its way that makes its way from party to party, leaving chaos wherever it goes. It eats the cake, ruins the presents, steals the party favors, and dumps ice cream on children's heads!" For emphasis, she began to stand on her chair, her hands twisted like claws above her head. "It has blinding red eyes and gnarled, sharp claws! Its sole mission is to make little kids cry and ruin every birthday it possibly can!"
"SCARY!" screamed Kousagi. She leaped out of her chair and clung to Mina, who looked less than thrilled. "The party demon is scary!"
Rei smirked triumphantly. "Don't worry, Kousagi. It won't come here...at least, I sure hope not!" She winked to the other girls. Kousagi whimpered and clung tighter to Mina's arm, which had began to turn white from lack of circulation. Irritated, she shook the pink-haired girl away, and looked down upon her as she cried loudly.
"Honestly! It's only a story!"
"I'm surprised our parents haven't come to see what the fuss is about," Ami noted. She jerked her head in the general direction of the mothers, who were laughing loudly at some action Minako had made. Usagi was laughing so hard she had fallen over onto her backside. "Some mothers they are. My mother seems to be the only sensible one in the bunch."
Rei frowned, and an angry tic appeared on the back of her head. Mako had noticed her friend's anger rising, and she sheepishly smiled and grabbed her arm. "Hey, Rei! Cake time's over; why don't we open your presents now? You should get started now because there's enough here to last you a whole other year!" This seemed to calm her dark-haired friend down, as Rei's eyes brightened while she ran to the table.
"MA-MAA! It's present time!" shrieked Rei. She clambered onto the large chair at the head of the table and waited expectantly for the first gift. Looking around, she saw Kousagi sitting on the floor, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. For the first time since she had met the annoying, exasperating girl, Rei felt a slight twinge of pity. "Hey...Kousagi?"
Sniffling, the girl looked up to her "friend." "Yeah?"
Rei motioned to the chair next to her. "Sit down, we're opening presents."
Almost instantly, Kousagi's eyes shone as she scrambled to her feet, happily making her way to the chair on Rei's left side. "Thank you, Rei! I hope you like the present I got you! I sure did! It's really pretty, and Mama helped pick it out too! Chibiusa wanted to get you something boring, like a book or a shirt, but I wanted to get you something much, much better!" A large bead of sweat formed on the back of Rei's head. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
Before she could ponder the situation, a large package was plunked in front of the girl, her mother smiling happily above her. "This one's from Usagi, Chibiusa, and Kousagi! Open it up; let's see what you got!" Rei blinked, and began to delicately pull the wrapping from the box. She pulled the flaps open, and inside was a shining silver music box with "Rei" engraved in katakana on the lid. The border was a wispy ribbon pattern, with flowers in each corner and blossoms floating here and there. Rei opened it up. Inside, the box was lined with dark red satin and had a music box that played a soft, tinkling melody. It was absolutely gorgeous and a real piece of artwork.
"What do you say, Rei?"
Rei replaced the lid and traced the katakana with her finger. It was so elegant, and seemed to match her personality perfectly. She never would've expected it as a gift from Usagi or her daughters. "Thank you," she said softly, looking to Kousagi and smiling. Kousagi returned the smile cheerfully, waving her hand in a happy gesture.
Rei handed the box to her mother and watched her place it on the table by the door. "We'll put it in your room later. Let's see what else you got."
It too Rei a long time to open her presents, since her mother had given her more than everyone else combined. She had received many lovely gifts—Minako and Mina had given her a karaoke set (unlike her mother, Rei adored karaoke, and so Mina). Makoto and Mako had brought a jewelry set consisting of a necklace, earrings, a ring, and a bracelet; they weren't the cheap plastic kind children played with. They were silver-plated with rhinestone rubies as decoration. Ami and her mother, however, had brought the least exciting gift: a book about the history of Shinto. Rei wasn't interested in the religion, even if she did inherit her mother's spiritual sense. Her mother had bought her clothes, little toys, picture books, and the like. However, Rei still found Kousagi's gift to be her favorite.
"I can't believe the dumpling-heads gave me such a nice gift," she thought to herself. She looked over at the chair next to her; Kousagi was no longer sitting there. Rei looked around curiously, and she saw her out the window, picking pieces of candy from the piñata debris.
Mina shook her head. "That's disgusting. She'll eat anything, anytime, anywhere!" she said, snapping Rei from her thoughts.
* * *
Above the Hino household, a flash of black light sparked. It began to grow and take the form of a woman dressed in a dark violet summer kimono, fluttering in a non-existent wind. Her black hair had a reddish-brown undertone, and reached the middle of her back. Long, choppy bangs fell over her dark red eyes, as Rei had described before. Her skin was unusually pale, as if she had never been under a source of light. Her lips were like a geisha's, small and deep red. They twisted into a smirk as she surveyed the scene below.
"The sound of children's laughter...and such vibrant sources of energy! This shall make for an excellent feast," she said, as she descended towards the roof. She moved through the air silently, and landed on the roof without as much as a thump. Carefully scanning the backyard, her eyes landed on Kousagi, her back turned and plucking pieces of candy from the ground. The woman's eyes narrowed. Perfect. The child was unsuspecting and wouldn't put up much of a fight. Closing her eyes, the woman waved her arms, and, with a flourish, disappeared.
* * *
"...and Ayumi-san received a 60 on her exam," Ami said. Rei sat at the end of a table, resting her chin in her hands. Ami was describing the latest exam at school, and it was extremely dull. The other children were also in a sort of stupor, nodding politely throughout the story, but Rei knew they were off in a dreamland as well. Bored, Rei's eyes began to droop. As soon as they closed, an image quickly appeared in her mind.
A woman in a kimono...
Kousagi, oblivious...
A dark, mature voice...
Kousagi screaming...
Rei's eyes snapped open. Kousagi really was screaming! The others seemed to have heard it as well, as Ami had quit talking and the other two had come to attention, looking outside.
"Kousagi's in trouble!" exclaimed Mina.
* * *
Pieces of candy fell to the ground and rolled away as Kousagi screamed, scrambling back against the tree. The woman was moving closer, smiling darkly as she looked upon Kousagi with the look of a hungry animal. "Now, now, don't run. You'll only hurt yourself more..." She raised her hand, fingernails long and red, resembling claws. "I'll have your energy!"
Kousagi screamed and braced herself. "Rei was right....there was a party demon," she thought. She waited for the blow...
"Fire...Soul!" screamed a voice. A ball of flames sprang forth and hit the woman squarely on the behind, causing her to shriek loudly. The flames disappeared, and she whirled around, annoyed.
"Damn! Who did that?"
A red high heel clicked on the cemented patio, and Rei stood tall, now Parallel Sailor Mars. She glared angrily at the woman, and pointed her finger accusingly. "Attacking an innocent girl on what is supposed to be a day of joy! I can't forgive you! Agent of love and justice, a pretty sailor-suited soldier, Parallel Sailor Mars! And don't forget..."
"Parallel Sailor Mercury!"
"Parallel Sailor Jupiter!"
"Parallel Sailor Venus!"
"And we'll punish you!" all four girls said, pointing to the woman.
Their target didn't seem to hear their warning. She simply began to chuckle. "Oh-ho, little girls, punish me?" Suddenly, she sprang into the air, landing nimbly behind the little senshi and extending her "clawed" hand. "I am the Owari no Ikkou! I have been feeding on energy like yours for thousands of years, and nothing will stop me from doing so!" With a yell, she raised her arms and crossed them in an X-shape, then extended them toward the Parallel Senshi. They were lifted from their feet and raised high above the ground. "I will have your energy!" Angrily, she lowered her hand, and the senshi began to plummet to the ground.
"Kousagi! Transform!" Parallel Mars yelled before she hit the ground with a sickening thud. All this time, Kousagi had been against the tree, too scared to make her presence known or to say anything. Her eyes wavered as she saw her friends on the ground, groaning with pain.
"Rei...Ami...Mina...Mako..." she said. Her look of fear changed to a look of determination. "I'm not going to let you down! I am a princess!" She raised her and to the sky and shouted, "Parallel Moon Power! Make-Up!"
The Owari turned towards the light of Kousagi's transformation. It blinded her, and she brought up her arm to shield her eyes. "Such energy! I will take yours first!" Parallel Sailor Moon, now transformed, pointed to the Owari.
"You can't hurt my friends! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
"Die!" growled the Owari. She sent a dark blast towards Parallel Sailor Moon, who screamed and scrambled out of the way. Her façade of courage had disappeared, and she was crying again. The Owari smirked, "Heh. It's hard to believe you're a princess! You're so cowardly you can't even stand tall to fight. It'll be a pleasure getting rid of you."
Parallel Jupiter had begun to rise slowly to her feet. "A pleasure? Hardly!"
Parallel Venus followed suit. "Even though Kousagi is a rash, irresponsible crybaby who eats too much..."
"...she has a pure heart and is a great friend, and there's no one like her," finished Parallel Mercury, who was helping Parallel Mars up. "And it's our job to protect her!"
The Owari's eyes narrowed. "I will not tolerate such defiance! Your energy is mine!" She sent another dark blast towards the Parallel Senshi in hopes of immobilizing them. Unfortunately, that was not about to happen. Parallel Jupiter and Parallel Mercury began to power up simultaneously.
"Supreme...Thunder!"
"Shine Aqua...Illusion!"
Both attacks hit the Owari at the same time, which sent her reeling back into the fence. The force of her collision succeeded in shattering a few boards. She appeared out of commission, but Parallel Venus was not about to take that risk. Raising her hand to the sky, she formed a chain of light and sent it towards the fallen Owari. "Venus Love-Me Chain!"
The chain wrapped itself tightly around the Owari. It caused her to scream out in pain as the pure love energy dug into her ghastly pale skin, cutting through her kimono. "Parallel Sailor Moon!" yelled Parallel Venus. "Now's your chance! She's down and out!"
Parallel Moon nodded. She closed her eyes and raised her hand to the sky. She always hated this part, but it was the only attack she had. "Unite and become enormous, and devour them! Cats, cats, come forth and create a huge mountain of cats! Kittycat, kittycat, become a mountain cat! Go forth!"
The attack had an instant effect. Cats from the area were raised, confused, into the sky. They began to conglomerate into one large cat, which began to make way towards the Owari. She had regained consciousness, and her red eyes widened at the sight of the large cat falling towards her. "No! No!! This cannot be!" Oblivious to her screams, the cat's jaws closed around the demon, releasing Venus's chain. She screamed in horror as she was bitten completely in half, and dissipated into a harmless smoke.
Parallel Moon dropped to her knees. Her hand fell to her side, and the cats were returned to their normal size, falling to the ground as if nothing had happened. Goosebumps appeared on Parallel Moon's skin. "I...hate...cats!" She shook her head wildly, her eyes closed tightly. "Make them go away!"
The senshi laughed, walking to Parallel Moon. She opened her eyes, and discovered Parallel Mars had extended her hand. She took it, and Parallel Mars helped her to her feet. "So, I guess there really was a party demon," Parallel Moon said quietly.
"I didn't know," said Parallel Mars, putting her arm around her friend's shoulder.
Parallel Venus cleared her throat. "Ahh...actually, Kousagi? That was my idea." Her eyes dropped towards the ground guiltily and she dug the toe of her high heel into the dirt. "You see, I thought it would be funny if we scared you a bit. I never thought it would actually happen." She forced herself to look back up to Parallel Moon. "I'm sorry."
It all seemed to go over Parallel Moon's head. She closed her eyes and smiled, grabbing Parallel Venus's hands. "It's okay, Mina! I forgive you! None of us knew!" Parallel Venus smiled. Maybe Kousagi wasn't as bad as she really seemed.
Suddenly, a loud growl sounded. All of the senshi sweatdropped; they recognized that sound. Parallel Moon laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, Rei? Can I have some more of your cake?"
"KOUSAGI! You eat enough to feed a small country!" shouted Parallel Mars, de-transforming as she headed towards the house. Kousagi ran after her, de- transformed as well. The other girls did the same.
"I can't help it if I'm always hungry!" Kousagi cried. Ami, Mina, and Mako sighed. Today was no different than any other.
The end.
Since the mothers have the same names as their daughters, I'm going to try and make this as clear as possible. I wanted to use Chibi Rei, Chibi Ami, etc., but it doesn't fit with the original comic. Please let me know if there is any confusion. Also, since the Parallel Senshi (except for Kousagi) never had any attacks, I will use the Inner Senshi's attacks from BSSM and BSSMR.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor do I own the Parallel Senshi.
* * *
"Happy Birthday, Rei!" cried the guests. A tall brunette with a ponytail made her way through the crowd to place an extravagant cake on the table, lighting its recipient's face with an almost holy glow. The girl smiled happily, surrounded by piles of presents and dressed in a red party dress, looking almost like her mother, standing beside her in admiration. Both had long, raven hair with a violet undertone; their eyes the same shade of deep brown. After a moment of wistful consideration, Rei blew out the candles, and the room fell dark.
"Hurray!"
The lights came on again, and Rei wore a smug smile. Her friends now crowded around her, eager to get that first slice of birthday cake. The brunette in charge of serving the cake gave a stern glare to her identical daughter. "Mako, don't push! You'll get your turn! You too, Mina!" The girls ceased their shoving and, reluctantly cooperated for the current piece of cake. Rei slid from the chair and cut to the front of the line, causing the other children to angrily mutter.
"It's my birthday, so the first slice is mine," said Rei triumphantly, taking the offered plate. She quickly gave the other girls a raspberry and pulled her eyelid down before making her way back to the table. The girl called Mina, with waist-length blonde hair tied into a red ribbon and bright blue eyes, gave an exasperated sigh as she watched Rei strut away.
"She goes first even when it's not her birthday. That spoiled brat."
"Don't worry, what goes around comes around," said Mako, rolling her large green eyes.
"She'll probably eat so much that she'll get a stomachache," said Ami, a smaller girl with blue hair and eyes. She adjusted her glasses with a satisfied smile. "She always does, and Aunt Rei spends the evening worrying over her." The girls gave a satisfied nod and picked up their own plates. They were about to move towards the table when a loud, familiar voice pierced their ears...
"Is it cake time already? Kousagi almost missed cake!"
Large sweatdrops appeared on the back of the girls' heads as they froze in their steps. Whenever Kousagi appeared, there was never a moment's peace. Rei even took a moment to look up from her cake and glare angrily at the newcomer, then to the adults. "Who invited her?!"
The adults turned their heads at Kousagi's voice, and smiled as they saw her running into the room, still clutching pieces of candy from the piñata. Her face was sticky from already-eaten pieces of candy, and her pink hair was messy and curly, as usual. Usagi was just like her when she was younger, although she was a bit more concerned with cleanliness, and she rose from the group of adults to make her way towards Kousagi. "Kousagi, what took you so long? Everyone played with the piñata over a half-hour ago!"
"I broke it open on the first try. I grabbed as much candy as I could, and then everyone left. I guess they didn't want any, so I ate all I could," said Kousagi, smiling sheepishly. Her mother smiled and patted the cone- shaped buns that were her trademark hairstyle. "Mama, can I have some cake?"
"I don't see why not. In fact, I'll have some too," said Usagi, her long blonde pigtails swishing as she made her way to the food table, grabbing two plates laden with gigantic slices and handing one to her daughter. "Enjoy!"
Clutching her delicious prize, Kousagi ran towards the table where the other girls sat, giving her disgusted looks. "Hello! Happy Birthday, Rei! I'm having so much fun!" Kousagi was oblivious to her "friend's" sneers as she dug in to the delicious pastry, unintentionally smearing most of the icing on her face. "Chocolate! My favorite!"
Mina slumped down in frustration, and almost suddenly, sat erect again. She grinned evilly and leaned in towards the middle of the table, speaking in a quiet voice. "You guys, I have a great idea." The other girls looked at her questioningly and leaned in as Mina began to tell them of her plan in a low voice. They smirked and nodded their assent as Mina described the instructions, and turned to Kousagi, who was licking her plate happily.
"Oh! Rei, tell us the story of the party demon again!" said Mako in a loud stage voice. She stole a quick glance at Kousagi, who, as anticipated, had looked to the group in curiosity. Her large blue eyes were wide. "Party...demon?"
Rei looked at the younger girl in mock surprise. "You mean you haven't heard?"
Kousagi furiously shook her head back and forth. "No! Tell me!" She inched closer to the other girls, eagerly awaiting Rei's answer.
Cautiously, Rei looked at the adults. They were gossiping amongst each other, oblivious. Good. She sat on her knees and leaned into the table, her dark brown eyes serious. "There's a legend of a demon that makes its way that makes its way from party to party, leaving chaos wherever it goes. It eats the cake, ruins the presents, steals the party favors, and dumps ice cream on children's heads!" For emphasis, she began to stand on her chair, her hands twisted like claws above her head. "It has blinding red eyes and gnarled, sharp claws! Its sole mission is to make little kids cry and ruin every birthday it possibly can!"
"SCARY!" screamed Kousagi. She leaped out of her chair and clung to Mina, who looked less than thrilled. "The party demon is scary!"
Rei smirked triumphantly. "Don't worry, Kousagi. It won't come here...at least, I sure hope not!" She winked to the other girls. Kousagi whimpered and clung tighter to Mina's arm, which had began to turn white from lack of circulation. Irritated, she shook the pink-haired girl away, and looked down upon her as she cried loudly.
"Honestly! It's only a story!"
"I'm surprised our parents haven't come to see what the fuss is about," Ami noted. She jerked her head in the general direction of the mothers, who were laughing loudly at some action Minako had made. Usagi was laughing so hard she had fallen over onto her backside. "Some mothers they are. My mother seems to be the only sensible one in the bunch."
Rei frowned, and an angry tic appeared on the back of her head. Mako had noticed her friend's anger rising, and she sheepishly smiled and grabbed her arm. "Hey, Rei! Cake time's over; why don't we open your presents now? You should get started now because there's enough here to last you a whole other year!" This seemed to calm her dark-haired friend down, as Rei's eyes brightened while she ran to the table.
"MA-MAA! It's present time!" shrieked Rei. She clambered onto the large chair at the head of the table and waited expectantly for the first gift. Looking around, she saw Kousagi sitting on the floor, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. For the first time since she had met the annoying, exasperating girl, Rei felt a slight twinge of pity. "Hey...Kousagi?"
Sniffling, the girl looked up to her "friend." "Yeah?"
Rei motioned to the chair next to her. "Sit down, we're opening presents."
Almost instantly, Kousagi's eyes shone as she scrambled to her feet, happily making her way to the chair on Rei's left side. "Thank you, Rei! I hope you like the present I got you! I sure did! It's really pretty, and Mama helped pick it out too! Chibiusa wanted to get you something boring, like a book or a shirt, but I wanted to get you something much, much better!" A large bead of sweat formed on the back of Rei's head. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
Before she could ponder the situation, a large package was plunked in front of the girl, her mother smiling happily above her. "This one's from Usagi, Chibiusa, and Kousagi! Open it up; let's see what you got!" Rei blinked, and began to delicately pull the wrapping from the box. She pulled the flaps open, and inside was a shining silver music box with "Rei" engraved in katakana on the lid. The border was a wispy ribbon pattern, with flowers in each corner and blossoms floating here and there. Rei opened it up. Inside, the box was lined with dark red satin and had a music box that played a soft, tinkling melody. It was absolutely gorgeous and a real piece of artwork.
"What do you say, Rei?"
Rei replaced the lid and traced the katakana with her finger. It was so elegant, and seemed to match her personality perfectly. She never would've expected it as a gift from Usagi or her daughters. "Thank you," she said softly, looking to Kousagi and smiling. Kousagi returned the smile cheerfully, waving her hand in a happy gesture.
Rei handed the box to her mother and watched her place it on the table by the door. "We'll put it in your room later. Let's see what else you got."
It too Rei a long time to open her presents, since her mother had given her more than everyone else combined. She had received many lovely gifts—Minako and Mina had given her a karaoke set (unlike her mother, Rei adored karaoke, and so Mina). Makoto and Mako had brought a jewelry set consisting of a necklace, earrings, a ring, and a bracelet; they weren't the cheap plastic kind children played with. They were silver-plated with rhinestone rubies as decoration. Ami and her mother, however, had brought the least exciting gift: a book about the history of Shinto. Rei wasn't interested in the religion, even if she did inherit her mother's spiritual sense. Her mother had bought her clothes, little toys, picture books, and the like. However, Rei still found Kousagi's gift to be her favorite.
"I can't believe the dumpling-heads gave me such a nice gift," she thought to herself. She looked over at the chair next to her; Kousagi was no longer sitting there. Rei looked around curiously, and she saw her out the window, picking pieces of candy from the piñata debris.
Mina shook her head. "That's disgusting. She'll eat anything, anytime, anywhere!" she said, snapping Rei from her thoughts.
* * *
Above the Hino household, a flash of black light sparked. It began to grow and take the form of a woman dressed in a dark violet summer kimono, fluttering in a non-existent wind. Her black hair had a reddish-brown undertone, and reached the middle of her back. Long, choppy bangs fell over her dark red eyes, as Rei had described before. Her skin was unusually pale, as if she had never been under a source of light. Her lips were like a geisha's, small and deep red. They twisted into a smirk as she surveyed the scene below.
"The sound of children's laughter...and such vibrant sources of energy! This shall make for an excellent feast," she said, as she descended towards the roof. She moved through the air silently, and landed on the roof without as much as a thump. Carefully scanning the backyard, her eyes landed on Kousagi, her back turned and plucking pieces of candy from the ground. The woman's eyes narrowed. Perfect. The child was unsuspecting and wouldn't put up much of a fight. Closing her eyes, the woman waved her arms, and, with a flourish, disappeared.
* * *
"...and Ayumi-san received a 60 on her exam," Ami said. Rei sat at the end of a table, resting her chin in her hands. Ami was describing the latest exam at school, and it was extremely dull. The other children were also in a sort of stupor, nodding politely throughout the story, but Rei knew they were off in a dreamland as well. Bored, Rei's eyes began to droop. As soon as they closed, an image quickly appeared in her mind.
A woman in a kimono...
Kousagi, oblivious...
A dark, mature voice...
Kousagi screaming...
Rei's eyes snapped open. Kousagi really was screaming! The others seemed to have heard it as well, as Ami had quit talking and the other two had come to attention, looking outside.
"Kousagi's in trouble!" exclaimed Mina.
* * *
Pieces of candy fell to the ground and rolled away as Kousagi screamed, scrambling back against the tree. The woman was moving closer, smiling darkly as she looked upon Kousagi with the look of a hungry animal. "Now, now, don't run. You'll only hurt yourself more..." She raised her hand, fingernails long and red, resembling claws. "I'll have your energy!"
Kousagi screamed and braced herself. "Rei was right....there was a party demon," she thought. She waited for the blow...
"Fire...Soul!" screamed a voice. A ball of flames sprang forth and hit the woman squarely on the behind, causing her to shriek loudly. The flames disappeared, and she whirled around, annoyed.
"Damn! Who did that?"
A red high heel clicked on the cemented patio, and Rei stood tall, now Parallel Sailor Mars. She glared angrily at the woman, and pointed her finger accusingly. "Attacking an innocent girl on what is supposed to be a day of joy! I can't forgive you! Agent of love and justice, a pretty sailor-suited soldier, Parallel Sailor Mars! And don't forget..."
"Parallel Sailor Mercury!"
"Parallel Sailor Jupiter!"
"Parallel Sailor Venus!"
"And we'll punish you!" all four girls said, pointing to the woman.
Their target didn't seem to hear their warning. She simply began to chuckle. "Oh-ho, little girls, punish me?" Suddenly, she sprang into the air, landing nimbly behind the little senshi and extending her "clawed" hand. "I am the Owari no Ikkou! I have been feeding on energy like yours for thousands of years, and nothing will stop me from doing so!" With a yell, she raised her arms and crossed them in an X-shape, then extended them toward the Parallel Senshi. They were lifted from their feet and raised high above the ground. "I will have your energy!" Angrily, she lowered her hand, and the senshi began to plummet to the ground.
"Kousagi! Transform!" Parallel Mars yelled before she hit the ground with a sickening thud. All this time, Kousagi had been against the tree, too scared to make her presence known or to say anything. Her eyes wavered as she saw her friends on the ground, groaning with pain.
"Rei...Ami...Mina...Mako..." she said. Her look of fear changed to a look of determination. "I'm not going to let you down! I am a princess!" She raised her and to the sky and shouted, "Parallel Moon Power! Make-Up!"
The Owari turned towards the light of Kousagi's transformation. It blinded her, and she brought up her arm to shield her eyes. "Such energy! I will take yours first!" Parallel Sailor Moon, now transformed, pointed to the Owari.
"You can't hurt my friends! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"
"Die!" growled the Owari. She sent a dark blast towards Parallel Sailor Moon, who screamed and scrambled out of the way. Her façade of courage had disappeared, and she was crying again. The Owari smirked, "Heh. It's hard to believe you're a princess! You're so cowardly you can't even stand tall to fight. It'll be a pleasure getting rid of you."
Parallel Jupiter had begun to rise slowly to her feet. "A pleasure? Hardly!"
Parallel Venus followed suit. "Even though Kousagi is a rash, irresponsible crybaby who eats too much..."
"...she has a pure heart and is a great friend, and there's no one like her," finished Parallel Mercury, who was helping Parallel Mars up. "And it's our job to protect her!"
The Owari's eyes narrowed. "I will not tolerate such defiance! Your energy is mine!" She sent another dark blast towards the Parallel Senshi in hopes of immobilizing them. Unfortunately, that was not about to happen. Parallel Jupiter and Parallel Mercury began to power up simultaneously.
"Supreme...Thunder!"
"Shine Aqua...Illusion!"
Both attacks hit the Owari at the same time, which sent her reeling back into the fence. The force of her collision succeeded in shattering a few boards. She appeared out of commission, but Parallel Venus was not about to take that risk. Raising her hand to the sky, she formed a chain of light and sent it towards the fallen Owari. "Venus Love-Me Chain!"
The chain wrapped itself tightly around the Owari. It caused her to scream out in pain as the pure love energy dug into her ghastly pale skin, cutting through her kimono. "Parallel Sailor Moon!" yelled Parallel Venus. "Now's your chance! She's down and out!"
Parallel Moon nodded. She closed her eyes and raised her hand to the sky. She always hated this part, but it was the only attack she had. "Unite and become enormous, and devour them! Cats, cats, come forth and create a huge mountain of cats! Kittycat, kittycat, become a mountain cat! Go forth!"
The attack had an instant effect. Cats from the area were raised, confused, into the sky. They began to conglomerate into one large cat, which began to make way towards the Owari. She had regained consciousness, and her red eyes widened at the sight of the large cat falling towards her. "No! No!! This cannot be!" Oblivious to her screams, the cat's jaws closed around the demon, releasing Venus's chain. She screamed in horror as she was bitten completely in half, and dissipated into a harmless smoke.
Parallel Moon dropped to her knees. Her hand fell to her side, and the cats were returned to their normal size, falling to the ground as if nothing had happened. Goosebumps appeared on Parallel Moon's skin. "I...hate...cats!" She shook her head wildly, her eyes closed tightly. "Make them go away!"
The senshi laughed, walking to Parallel Moon. She opened her eyes, and discovered Parallel Mars had extended her hand. She took it, and Parallel Mars helped her to her feet. "So, I guess there really was a party demon," Parallel Moon said quietly.
"I didn't know," said Parallel Mars, putting her arm around her friend's shoulder.
Parallel Venus cleared her throat. "Ahh...actually, Kousagi? That was my idea." Her eyes dropped towards the ground guiltily and she dug the toe of her high heel into the dirt. "You see, I thought it would be funny if we scared you a bit. I never thought it would actually happen." She forced herself to look back up to Parallel Moon. "I'm sorry."
It all seemed to go over Parallel Moon's head. She closed her eyes and smiled, grabbing Parallel Venus's hands. "It's okay, Mina! I forgive you! None of us knew!" Parallel Venus smiled. Maybe Kousagi wasn't as bad as she really seemed.
Suddenly, a loud growl sounded. All of the senshi sweatdropped; they recognized that sound. Parallel Moon laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, Rei? Can I have some more of your cake?"
"KOUSAGI! You eat enough to feed a small country!" shouted Parallel Mars, de-transforming as she headed towards the house. Kousagi ran after her, de- transformed as well. The other girls did the same.
"I can't help it if I'm always hungry!" Kousagi cried. Ami, Mina, and Mako sighed. Today was no different than any other.
The end.