Op: 'Halloween Night' by Aya Ikeda

Episode 16: Aah! The Okinakuchi Parade!

'Meow! Welcome back, Pretty Cure!''

Kuroneko was sitting on an Okinakuchi seemingly made of a lamppost, the ten Okinakuchi were marching in a somewhat straight line towards them, destroying much in their way and trying to grab some humans to chew on.

''Oh my, what a nice parade'' Wisp whispered and giggled softly, causing Blood to give her a strange look.

Cure Wolf howled and didn't waste any time before dashing to the parade, she desperately tried to tell herself that nobody was hurt but didn't believe any of it, how long were these Okinakuchi rampaging through the city?
She didn't want to know, she really didn't.

Cure Blood soon followed her and started to attack one of the Okinakuchi at the end of the parade, resembling a big radio, still taking a quick look around, Onibara and Karasu were nowhere to be found...

The Radio Okinakuchi had no arms and was responsible for the loud circus-music (Blood had to admit, it was kinda catchy..) but still had that horrible, huge mouth.

Just now Blood noticed that Sagino and Frank were standing on the Radio, and apparently they had also just noticed her attacking the Okinakuchi because Sagino yelled something at her she couldn't understand and pointed at her with his small finger.

She tried to jump on the Okinakuchi to give the guy a good punch in the face but before she could even come close she herself was met with a hard fist in the face, which impact was so heavy, she was thrown back against the ground.

''Cure Blood!'' She heard a low voice yell, opening her eyes, Blood saw Frank falling towards her, fist extended.

Just in time she could jump away before Frank's fist encountered the ground, which left a hole into it.

Because it was daytime, Blood was weaker than she had been in Halloween World and she quickly noticed it too when she tried to fight Frank, who already was inhumanly strong, Blood almost immediately decided that she couldn't win from him and turned her attention to the Okinakuchis, still marching through the streets.

''Pretty Cure! Wolf Claw!'' Cure Wolf used her attack and miraculously managed to destroy two Okinakuchis with it, both made of streetlights who were next to each other and trying to feed each other humans.

Only one of said humans was caught by Wolf before landing quite painfully on the ground, the other few luckily seemed alright, aside form a few bruises.

''No fun!~'' Kuroneko groaned while the lamppost Okinakuchi picked up two children and brought them close to its mouth.

''Pretty Cure! Blood Fang!''

Already mentally and physically prepared to attack, Blood sunk her teeth into the lamppost, who immediately let go of children

While all this was going on, Cure Witch felt useless again, the staff didn't work, she tried to protect the humans who were targeted by the Okinakuchi, trying to at least lure it away from them, while also trying to use her staff to do something, only now and then a small stream of light was shot at the Okinakuchi, which didn't even noticed it.

The Cure then noticed a familiar face running towards her.
It was Hotaru Hakamada.

''Pretty Cure! You are Pretty Cure, right?'' She asked while carrying a wounded child in her arms, it wasn't her brother Ryou though.

Witch was confused at first but then remembered that others couldn't recognize them when transformed.

''Yup!'' Witch shortly faked a smile.

''Don't worry about us, Defeat those creatures!'' Hotaru said and looked at the Okinakuchi before quickly running away with the child.

Witch looked around and noticed that people were willingly running towards the Okinakuchis to help a person who was attacked by them.

''Hey! Your partners are fighting for their lives over there!'' Someone shoved Witch forward, it was Hotaru, without the child this time, she looked angry.

''Don't just stand there! There are lives at stake!'' She continued and helped a woman stand up who was hurt by her leg.

''She's great'' Zeta whispered, peering his head from under Witch's hat.

''Oh my! Zeta! Are you going to...?'' Wisp began, sounding quite excited.

Zeta didn't say anything and disappeared under Witch's hat again, Witch ran to the Okinakuchi and pointed her wand at Kuroneko, who was now sitting on another Okinakuchi made of a chair.

''Pretty Cure! Witch Cu-AARGRGRG!'' She couldn't finish her attack because a fist shoved into her cheek, almost snapping her neck when she felt her head turn left wards.

''Sorry'' An all too familiar, low voice spoke.

''Frank! You!'' Witch groaned, unable to finish her sentence for some reason while looked at Frank, who looked really troubled.

''Sorry. Don't destroy monster'' He warned, frowning and quickly turned away, leaving Witch with a swollen, red cheek.

''Stop that, ruining my parade!'' Kuroneko started to grow irritated now, Cure Blood and Cure Wolf had started working together, using their attacks in turns, leaving enough time for the other to regain their powers for another attack.
Pretty smart actually.
And it proved to be working, as soon they already had defeated most of the Okinakuchi, save for the Radio with Sagino on it and the scarf which Kuroneko was currently standing on.

It was enough.
Time to be serious.
Too bad most humans already got away...

''DOUBLE!'' She suddenly cried at the top of her lungs, startling both Sagino and the Cures.

''THIS IS THE FUTAKUCHI!'' Merging the two last Okinakuchis, deforming it and slowly another mouth opened at the backside.

The circus-music of the Radio Okinakuchi had started playing backwards.

Blood and Wolf landed on the ground, in front of Witch who still hadn't done anything.

''What are you doing?'' Blood snapped.

''Sorry, girls...''

Wolf pressed her paw on Witch shoulder and gave the girl a small smile.

''Let's destroy this thing together...F-Friendship Power..!'' She said, trying to sound confident.

Both Sagino and Frank disappeared when the merging was done but Kuroneko stayed behind, standing on the Futakuchi, the improved Okinakuchi.

She had quite a nice view from there though.

Again, Blood and Wolf pressed their hands on the Witch Staff, while she pointed it at the terrifyingly large creature, with two huge mouths for the price of one.

''Come on, we just escaped from a huge castle full of creepy vines, we fought hundreds of monsters today...or yesterday, I'm not really sure...But let's combine our powers again!'' Blood spoke, again, she was spouting mushy speeches...How stupid.

''Pretty Cure! Hallow-!'' And again, the Witch Staff reacted before they could finish their cry, a big three-colored light was shot at the Futakuchi, surrounding it before it merely exploded into some colorful sparkles which fused to return to the Radio and Scarf they originally were.

Kuroneko just barely managed to jump of the Futakuchi before she could have been hit with the attack, she somehow floated in the air a few seconds before disappearing.

Surprisingly (and luckily) the destroyed houses and trees were restored to their original forms, as if the attacks hadn't happened at all.

''Did we do that?''

''...awesome..'' Witch signed tiredly before the three fell to the ground, that attack had worn all three of them out, they only barely managed to stay transformed in front of so many people, who surrounded them, thanked them, asking them things and taking pictures.

''We have to go now..But If something happens, we'll protect you!'' Cure Blood noticed how stupidly cliché that sounded.

''Thanks Pretty Cure, we known we can count on you'' Hotaru, standing in the crowd, said but gave Witch a short yet disappointed look.

''Of course Hota-um...Of course, Random Citizen!'' Witch gave the girl two thumps-up awkwardly before the three, with all the strength they had left, jumped on some trees and hid behind the parking lot to transform back

Finally being in their human bodies again felt good, Yuina quickly stroked her teeth with her tongue, glad they weren't pointy anymore, Wakaba did the same with her hands and feet, glad she didn't have paws and claws anymore and Miku was relieved there wasn't a staff glued to her hand and a hat miraculously sitting on her head.

Orlok, Jacky, Larry and Zeta and Wisp all sat down on the ground next the girls.
While they had been through a lot the last few hours (or were it days?), the true fight had only just begun.

The key was still lost, Onibara and Karasu were still out there somewhere, Kuroneko, Sagino and Frank were too.

What about Boneys? They hadn't heard anything from him since quite a while ago...He must have been...
Miku stopped her thoughts and remembered something else when looking at Zeta and Wisp.

They still needed to find two new Cures

''Hey, greenie, didn't you say that Hotaru would be perfect for a Cure?'' She asked Zeta, poking his head for no reason at all.

''I did, but that's not important right now, could you first take me to my sister?'' He answered, still frowning and turning to Yuina.

Yuina didn't know where she and Show Kabocha were, were they still at the cliff?
Only one way to find out.

''How could his happen?!'' Sagino roared when Kuroneko had teleported back, she merely shrugged.
Frank was the first to notice two people in their hide-out.

Onibara and Karasu

''M-M-Mistress!'' Sagino said and bowed, awkwardly Frank followed his master's lead but Kuroneko slowly approached the demon.

''Hello Mistress..'' She purred, coming close to Onibara, whose face she couldn't read.

Karasu, visibly annoyed, pulled the cat-girl away only for a conveniently put can to fall down, just missing Karasu by an inch.

''We've lost the key'' He stated quite calmly while he fidgeted with his golden necklace.

Kuroneko and Sagino stared at the two, unbelievably.

''Are you serious?''

''So we can't go back!?'' Sagino asked, staring at his boss with big eyes.

''I'm afraid not, we need the Pretty Cure or the key...'' Karasu answered for Onibara, who stared at the ground, lost in though.

''..Or we just wait for Halloween'' Kuroneko suggested, looking at the calendar hanging on the nearby wall.
Too bad Halloween was still a few months away.

Oh well, more time to mess with those Cures.

''Let's give them the worst time they've ever had!'' She eventually said, grinning.

''That's sounds good...then maybe we finally find her'' Onibara whispered softly.

Tomoko and Kabocha weren't at the hill but after walking around the city a bit they eventually turned up nearby the park, not far away from the little apartment they had managed to get.
Kabocha had hidden most of his face with the coat, hat and glasses again as the two sat on a random bench, talking. Smiling.

Luckily there were no people around so it wasn't that big of a problem when Zeta, upon seeing Tomoko, immediately jumped out of Wakaba's hands and rushed to her on his small feet.

Even his run looked unnatural, with his arms making some strange swaying motion as he ran.

''AN! IT'S ME!'' He yelled and jumped on Tomoko's lap, surprising the girl.
Instantly her eyes grew big and started to tear up.

''...B-Brother?'' In a moment Tomoko was crying fully now while she pressed the critter to her chest tightly.

''An..What happened to your skin!?'' Zeta asked, sounded quite worried while he still was being held against his sisters chest.

''This guy, Magus, helped me escape...I'm...I'm sorry, we wanted to save you too but...'' Tomoko let go of her brother to wipe her wet face, Kabocha handed her a small neckerchief, Zeta shot him a long look.

''No, no! It's alright, I'm just glad you're okay'' He assured her.

''Thank you!'' Tomoko managed to smile as she pulled the three girls close.

''Thank you so much'' She repeated, softer this time.

''...But father isn't...''

''Is he...'' Tomoko didn't want to say it, she didn't want to...

''He isn't dead, I heard he was ….his mind was...messed with'' Zeta explained while he pressed his arms around his body again, he looked around nervously.

So that meant Sagino really was Grey.
And he was Tomoko and Zeta's father...
That was very sad.
Yuina couldn't think how that would feel, to have your father be tortured like that.

''That's all too bad but we have to think about what to do next'' Kabocha interrupted quickly, causing Zeta to again shot him an annoyed look, the wizard ignored it and pointed at Wisp.

''We need Two new Cures'' He said and looked at Orlok, who confirmed with a small nod.

''That's correct, Zeta, you've already found someone who might be worthy to give your Hollow Changer to?'' Orlok turned to Zeta, who simply nodded, Tomoko looked confused.

''Should we tell Hotaru about it tomorrow?'' Yuina suggested, her comrades all agreed, except for one.

''Wait...Hotaru?'' Tomoko asked, looking quite bothered the mention of the class representative.

''Yes, that Hotaru girl, she looked like she could carry my title'' Zeta said, staring at his sister, who shook her head with a frown.

''You can't, brother! She's just a human! I'll do it, I'm an alien too!'' She younger sister exclaimed, she didn't want Hotaru to get involved into all this but she did know her brother absolutely didn't want Tomoko involved into it.

Being a Cure was quite a big responsibility and sometimes wasn't nearly as fun as it looked.

Tomoko knew that exactly, she rarely saw her brother since he was given his Hollow Changer by the King, he never again could join her and father on their yearly visits and he constantly was in danger of being attacked.

''WOW HOLD UP! You're an alien!?'' Miku's somber look had disappeared while she grabbed Tomoko's shoulders and inspected her from top to toe.
An alien?
Did aliens really exist?

''Hehe! I knew it! I knew it! Which planet are you from? Are there more?'' The shorter girl stared to bombard Tomoko with questions however the green-haired girl was still thinking about being a Cure.

''We aren't from Halloween World, obliviously'' Zeta interrupted the questioning of his sister by jumping onto Miku's head and grabbing her goggles.

''Really?'' Both Miku, Yuina and Wakaba asked, all growing curiously and somewhat excited at the chance of actually meeting an alien from another world.

''We're from planet ^^^ 2$''

''What?'' Yuina asked, what did he just said?

Zeta repeated the word, still sounding inhuman and neither of the girls, except Tomoko, could understand what was that supposed to mean.

''So we, our father and some others were going on some sort of 'vacation', If you will, to the human world but our ship crashed and we somehow ended up in Halloween World, we were met with open arms by the king and we decided to stay''

That sounded quite stupid.
Somewhat hard to believe but...no, after everything they had seen nothing was hard to believe anymore.

''Oh well.. anyway, I absolutely won't let you Tomoko! It's too dangerous!'' Zeta looked quite irritated, he was properly trying to sound strict but...in his current form, it was less than successful.

''But Hotaru is a human, she will be too weak!'' Tomoko cited, which started an argument between the two siblings.

Show Kabocha turned to the girls, face still hidden away by the glasses.

''I'm afraid I can't do it either, I'm a Wizard and I don't wish to become an Alien or Ghost but I wish you all the best, give me a call If I can be of any help'' He gave Yuina a simple scrap of paper with a phone-number on it and walked away, Tomoko took Zeta, still arguing and followed him with a small wave to the girls.

Yuina, Miku and Wakaba slowly started to walk home.

''Hehe! So cool! They're aliens! Hopefully we can see their ship!''

''Does t-that mean...they kidnapped humans to e-e-experiment or d-dissect them?'' Wakaba grabbed Miku's arm and looked around fearfully as If something could attack her at any moment.

''Don't be stupid...But guys...'' Yuina turned to Orlok, Jacky, Larry and Wisp.

''What did Show Kabocha meant by 'become an Alien or Ghost'?''

Orlok, Jacky, Larry and Wisp kept quiet while exchanging some nervous looks (except Wisp, who was still smiling).

''Well...'' Orlok began, ready to explain quite a lot.

ED: 'Delusion Disco!' - Yoshino Nanjo (Yuina Akagawa), Emiri Kato (Miku Sumire) & Kazusa Murai (Wakaba Tsukino)