"Mommeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Mommy, Ichiro keeps shooting his power pistol at me!"
"Pow! Die, you vixen alien scum! Powpowpowpowpowpowpow!"
"Yameru, Ichiro! Mommeeeee, tell him to leave me alone!"
"I'll save you, fair female mortal! Evil Power Ranger, disappear!"
"But I'm the good guy, Jiro! And Tenrei's an alien!"
"No, I'm not! I'm not playing with you guys! I'm trying to read!" She pointed to the fashion magazine in her hands.
"Aw, you're just copying off of Hitomi."
"No I am not!"
"Uh-huh!"
"Hey, we still have to figure out who's the good guy and who's the bad guy!"
"I'm good, and you're bad, Jiro!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Uh-huh"
"No I'm not!"
"GET OUT OF HERE, Ichiro AND Jiro!"
Kogusunasu Rei lightly knocked her head against the kitchen table and sighed deeply, frantically running her hands through her deep violet hair. She wished she could wave a magic wand and make everyone in the house disappear.
Her husband, Kogusunasu Sanetoki, came in the kitchen and sympathetically stroked her back. "Burned out?"
"Yes," Rei replied, her head still down on the table.
"Well, that's what you get for having so many children!"
Rei lifted her head and gave Sanetoki a dangerous look. "You helped me make them!"
"Yes, and it was a pleasure, my darling," Sanetoki said playfully, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and then scooting away to avoid her smack.
"Well, do something to shut them up. I'm going to take a bath before Ami and Mitsuru get here." Rei rose from the kitchen table and walked out of the kitchen.
"Mommy--"
"Do not call my name." Sanetoki restrained his laughter against Rei's tense, dead-serious voice. "Do not say the word 'mommy' until--until I say you can again. From this point on, if you have a problem, either work it out yourselves or call Daddy. Do not call Mommy."
"What are you going to do if we do?" Sanetoki heard Ichiro ask curiously.
"I just might kill you, Ichiro," Rei said seriously, and Sanetoki almost choked with laughter as he heard Jiro's frightened gasp.
The next thing he heard was Jiro and Ichiro's footsteps pounding into the kitchen, accompanied by various pieces of Nerf toys clattering to the ground. "Daddy, Mommy said she's going to kill us!"
"Really?" said Sanetoki, very amused.
"She said if we say 'mommy' one more time she'd kill us. Is that legal, Daddy?" Ichiro asked.
"Maybe," said Sanetoki mysteriously. "You're going to have to ask your uncle Sadayoshi next time he comes over here."
Jiro and Ichiro looked at each other with wide eyes, and Sanetoki was saved from bursting into laughter and ruining the mystique when his fourteen-year-old daughter Hitomi walked into the kitchen holding his two-year-old daughter Yuriko.
Sanetoki smiled when he laid eyes on his beautiful daughter. He certainly loved all of his children, but he sometimes couldn't help feeling like Hitomi was his favorite. She was always elegant and demure, and she always acted about five years older than she really was. Added to the fact that she looked about three years older than she was, and was very smart, a lot of people actually thought she was older than she really was. And she looked like a carbon copy of Rei. Hitomi was certainly a help around the house, taking Yuriko off their hands when Sanetoki and Rei were frazzled. Sanetoki was very protective of his oldest daughter, too, and wasn't too sure he liked the fact that Hitomi seemed very interested in a football-playing high school senior who also seemed very interested in her.
"Hi, Daddy." Yuriko, who also looked more like Rei than Sanetoki, was playing with Hitomi's long violet hair and her gold hoop earrings, tangling the two together. "Ow, stop it, Yuri-chan. That hurts. What's wrong with Okaa?"
"Children overload." Sanetoki shook his head. "I told the woman to stop having children, but would she listen? I told her we should have stopped with you or at least Tenrei, but does she listen? Noooooo."
Hitomi grinned as she opened the refrigerator. "Are our aunts and uncles still coming over?"
"Yes. Mitsuru called. Mitsuru says they're trying to find Nanami and Manami. They're hiding from them."
Hitomi smiled as she spread mayonnaise over a piece of bread. She babysat for Nanami and Manami often, and she knew that the two were twin devils. Izumi was one of Hitomi's good friends, although the two were almost total opposites.
Hitomi set Yuriko down and took a bite out of her ham sandwich. Yuriko begged for a piece and Hitomi cut off a small corner. "So are you convinced we don't need a dog?"
Sanetoki smiled sheepishly. He begged like a little boy for a dog, but Rei refused. "We have to feed and keep occupied five children, what do we need a dog for?" She was furious that Sanetoki had infused the idea in seven-year-old Jiro and eight-year-old Ichiro's minds, and they begged too. Hitomi merely said she wasn't feeding and walking it if they did get one, and twelve-year-old Tenrei agreed with her basically because she liked to emulate Hitomi.
The doorbell rang and Ichiro rushed to answer it. "This is the Black Ranger speaking. What people come to disturb this home? If you're part of the Putty Patrol, you shall be destroyed!"
Sanetoki heard wild laughter as he swatted Ichiro away from the door and opened it for Hayashino Makoto and her husband, Hayashino Ieyasu. In tow was their three children, five-year-old Yoshiko, fourteen-year-old Megami, and nineteen-year-old Teruo.
"That kid has some imagination," said Ieyasu, laughing and thumping Sanetoki on the back. "So, what's up?"
"My five children," Sanetoki said good-naturedly. "Rei's upstairs letting Calgon take her away. I'm sure she'll be down in a little while."
Mako laughed. "I know how that goes."
"So do I," Sanetoki replied.
The four Inner Senshi and former Dark Generals and their families were getting together at the Kogusunasu household that day for dinner. It seemed like it was a simple dinner, but in reality they were getting together to discuss the newly seen supposed threat moving across the galaxy rather rapidly. Michiru and Haruka stated they might stop over later, but they weren't sure as they had things to do that day.
"Come in, put down your stuff--what did you bring?" Sanetoki asked confusedly, looking at buckets of stuff in Megami and Teruo's hands.
Ieyasu blushed as Mako laughed. "I was teaching Ieyasu to make potato salad," she said, "and we accidentally made too much. We figured the best place to take it was here, although Teruo could probably eat it all himself." She shot a look at her handsome nineteen-year-old son, who rubbed his stomach in mock hunger. "I figured we could get Masaya to help him."
Sanetoki laughed. All the Senshi knew about Masaya and Teruo's notorious hunger and ostensibly bottomless stomachs. "Who do you think's going to eat more?"
"I've got my money on Masaya," said Ieyasu.
Teruo groaned. "You guys do this every time we get together for a dinner. Yet, you make so much food and complain when we don't eat it all. What do you want us to do?!" he whined.
Mako and Ieyasu laughed.
"Don't say I mind all the potato salad, though," said Sanetoki, eyeing the five Tupperware buckets of potato salad. "Knowing Mako's killer food, we probably won't have much of a hard time eating it all."
Sanetoki surveyed the three Hayashino children. They all seemed placid enough, even five-year-old Yoshiko. Sanetoki sighed. Then again, his five got their energy-ball attitudes from he and Rei, who both had them. Hitomi seemed a rogue, although she must have inherited her mother's soft side.
The doorbell rang again and Sanetoki rushed to the door before one of his 'imaginative' kids got there first. Looking through the peephole, he realized it was Ami, Mitsuru, and their children. Each of the two had a twin in their hands, and a sullen Izumi was standing with them. When he opened the door, Izumi stomped through with a curt hello.
"What's the matter with her?" Sanetoki asked of Mitsuru and Ami.
Ami rolled her eyes. "She knew where these two were all along. She didn't want to tell because she said they had sworn her to secrecy. Secrecy, my eye."
Rei swept down the stairs in a long black caftan with red accents here and there, and black and red earrings in her ears.
"Rei, why do you have to outdo everyone?" asked Makoto. "Yoshiko, get your fingers out of the food and wait till dinnertime!"
"Don't close the door!" called a voice. "We're here!"
It was Minako, rushing up to catch the door before it closed. Masaya was rushing after her. Sadayoshi and Emi were strolling, taking their time to walk up the walk.
Rei smiled as she watched them come up. It was funny how their family was split straight down the middle--Emi and Sadayoshi, and Masaya and Minako matched in personalities, while in looks the two children switched parents. "Where are Usagi and Mamoru?" she asked, checking her watch. The Senshi only called the king and queen Serenity and Endymion when they were on duty.
"They called to say they'd be a little late. Usagi lost something of Mamoru's and he's frantically trying to find it."
"Sounds like Usagi," Minako chuckled.
"Why'd you all bring food? I told you I had it under control," Rei said, turning around in her kitchen to check her three roasting chickens.
"Rei, you cooked only three chickens?" Minako quipped. "You knew we were bringing Masaya, didn't you? Did we tell you about the time Masaya ate the whole chicken I'd thawed for dinner?"
"He popped it in the oven and cooked it for lunch. Cleaned the bones. Had three rolls and six glasses of Coke too," Sadayoshi added.
"Teruo did that once," Makoto said thoughtfully. "He ate all my food while I was cleaning my refrigerator. I had virtually nothing to put back when I was finished."
"Masaya will have to tone down his hunger for once," said Rei. "So will Teruo."
Teruo and Masaya threw up their hands. "Let's leave the kitchen. They're only going to argue over who can eat more."
The parents laughed as their oldest boys follwed the wagon trail out of the kitchen, headed by Yuriko, tooting a kazoo she'd lost and found under the kitchen table. Solemnly, they waited until they thought their kids-- thirteen in all--were out of earshot.
"So, what's been coming up on the satellite computers?" Makoto asked without preamble.
"Nothing," Minako said. "We have no idea what this thing is."
"We've been checking it for three weeks," said Ami. "The same thing comes up every time. We know this thing is moving toward us. But it's not revealing what it is. It has some very high-tech cloaking mechanisms."
The Senshi sighed. "You know," Minako said, "Haruka told me that Michiru feels something connecting the assassin to the UFO."
"I felt the same thing," said Rei. "But I couldn't tell how. You don't think she's from another planet, do you?"
"Nah," said Makoto. "She looks Earthian to me."
"She does to me, too, but there's something uncannily--different about her," Ieyasu said.
"Those eyes--" Sanetoki smiled as he turned to Rei. "Look, the way I see it, those eyes threaten my happily stable family."
Rei smacked him in the back of the head.
"I was only kidding!" Sanetoki said, rubbing the back of his head. "You hit hard! Anyway, what I meant to say was...she's amazingly lovely for such a young woman. Which is worrisome..." Sanetoki's eyes slid towards the doorway.
"Hey, Aunt Rei, where do you keep your diapers?" As if on cue, it was Masaya, his head popped in the kitchen. "Hey, why is everybody so solemn? Why the white face, Ami?" Ami was the only one of the three women that were not his mother he didn't preface with an 'aunt'.
Ami made a cutting motion at her neck, but it was too late. The seven other adults turned to face her. She looked down.
"Oh, that's right. You been assigned to check out the assassin for diseases, haven't you, Ami?" asked Makoto. "What have been the results?"
"Has she told you anything about where's she's from?" Minako asked.
"Do you think maybe she does have something to do with the UFO?" asked Rei.
Ami shook her head. "Well, I don't think she has any sicknesses..." She trailed off and shot a dagger look at Masaya, who grimaced. "And she hasn't told me where she's from." That was true at least. She didn't say where she was from. "We really have to run some more tests."
"More tests," said Minako. "We need to hurry with the tests. She's a dangerous person. As soon as we discern what's wrong with her, we'll have to schedule her trial. She'll be convicted as guilty, of course, but as what we don't know. Attempted murder? Depending on her condition we'll have to decide what to do with her. Serenity's not going to go for execution, but a few years in prison will suit her well--"
"Minako," Ami said softly, "we shouldn't put her in prison."
Rei, Minako, and Makoto whirled to face Ami. "What?!"
"I said, we shouldn't put her in prison," Ami said, drawing herself up. "She's been through so much. If you only knew..." Ami sighed. "You know I can't tell you guys all of that."
"Ami, it's important!" Minako exclaimed. "What is up with you and my son these days?! You'd stake the queen's life on some girl's security?!"
"Minako," said Mitsuru warningly, placing a protective arm around his wife's slumping shoulders, "through the years I've learned to trust my wife's judgment. You've known her much longer than I have; I think you should have learned that, too."
Minako snapped her mouth shut fast, but the tension in the air could still be cut with a knife. Makoto and Rei exchanged a glance.
"Um...Aunt Rei, the diapers?"
"They're under the upstairs bathroom sink," Rei replied, not taking her eyes off of Ami, who was staring at the ground.
"Thank you." Masaya gratefully dashed from the kitchen.
"Look, let's eat," Makoto said, gesturing to the food. "It's going to get cold."
"So, Masaya, aren't you doctoring on that assassin?" Teruo asked Masaya after dinner. The two boys were best friends, despite their age difference of five years. Teruo idolized the older man and often peppered their conversations with endless questions, fueled by his very inquisitive nature.
"I'm assisting Ami. The girl is seventeen; a pediatrician wouldn't help her much." Masaya was gently bouncing Yuriko up and down on his leg.
"Oh. So?"
"So, what?"
"So, what does she look like? My dad said she's gorgeous." He raised an eyebrow.
"I guess she is," said Masaya, averting his eyes.
"You guess? Come on, Masaya, you're so transparent. You like her, don't you?"
Masaya didn't answer Teruo's question; instead he stared down at his leg and gurgled to Yuriko, who was having a lot of fun bouncing on his leg. He tickled her tummy, and she laughed and clapped her hands.
"You do. You do like her." Teruo smiled, leaning forwards excitedly. He and Masaya had the same tastes when it came to girls. "What does she look like?"
"She's got long, dark hair and pretty blue eyes. She's very cute," he admitted.
"Do you like her? For real?"
"Yes..." Masaya looked up at Teruo. "Do I have a choice? I'm assissting Ami as a doctor."
"Not like that, you know what I'm talking about, you moron...what's wrong with her?"
"I can't tell you. She already bawled me out for telling Ami before. And believe me, you don't want to get her angry."
Teruo laughed. "What'd she do?"
"Her eyes flash from her normal blue to this fiery violet, and she whipped a sword to my neck. But that was one of her off days."
Teruo burst into laughter. "I guess you've got a lot on your hands with that assassin, don't you, Masaya?"
"Yes, I think you're right."---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
AN: Name time! The girl children of the Senshi are the ones whose names matter the most, really.
Venus - Koikokoro Emi - beauty of awakening love
Mars - Kogasunasu Hitomi - scorching eyes
Jupiter - Hayashino Megami - goddess of the forest
Mercury - Amesuino Izumi - fountain of raiwater
By the way, of the Senshi's fifteen children, Masaya is the oldest, followed by Teruo. Then come Hitomi, Emi, Megami, Izumi, and Usa-chan (the former Chibimoon) in that order, although they are quite close in age. Tenrei comes next, then Ichiro, Jiro, Yoshiko, Nanami and Manami (who are twins), and finally Yuriko.