Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Crystalline

Episode Twelve: Ohitsujiza, The Ram

It took a lot of effort just to get Kougetsu-papa into the living room and awkwardly on the couch.

"Ow, my back," Hirome couldn't straighten. "Geez, who knew he weighed so much!"

"I don't wanna babysit the damn bird!"

"Get back upstairs before I rip your tail out!" Hirome hissed.

The two teens sat near the television, eventually turning it on. They didn't really talk. Hirome glanced back time to time but her dad was dead to the world.

"I'm a little worried," She said finally, getting up and very carefully shaking him. "Hey, hey, Dad? Pop? Papa!"

On her shout and rather rude shaking, he awoke with a snort and rolled off the couch.

"Whoops."

"Oh, gods, what's going on? How'd I get in here?" Kougetsu-papa sat up, holding his head. "I had the strangest dream…"

Hirome's eyes grew big with hope as Kitei was pumping his fist in victory.

Then the bird came flying in a full-blown panic.

"I'm going to eat you up for dinner! MAOW!" Apollo hissed and lunged, claws out as he landed on the carpet, sprawling out as Hirome had thumped him down to the ground.

"Apollo!"

"Apollo!"

"Apollo?"

The two teens looked at each other.

"Yea, yea. I can talk. See, your daughter.."

Five seconds later, he was on the front porch. "I.. uh… am.. Am I living on the street again?"

"Papa!" Hirome opened the door and plucked up the confused cat. "Don't do that. He's a living creature!"

"One who talks," Kougetsu-papa said darkly.

"Well, two." Kitei offered and then wilted under the man's hard glare.

"I'm sorry, Dad. But this.. Just sort of happened. It's all sorts of complicated. I can't really tell you, either. I just need you to trust me."

"And he was in on it too?"

"He found out by accident."

"Ah….please tell me that the cat doesn't talk."

"Papa!"

"All right, all right!" Kougetsu-papa shook his head. "I suppose underneath all of this, I knew that. But.. What's with the bird?"

It was sitting on the television, looking at the group with its bright, sapphire eyes, glimmering like diamonds. It was in hues of gold yellow, touches of flashes of blue. It was obviously feeling very tranquil.

"I.. don't know. Hey, Phoenix, do you have a name?" Hirome asked carefully, slowly.

"Mama!"

Hirome thought on it. "It was just born.. I mean, she was just born, I think. She had a nest and it had broken shells. It looked like she'd been recently hatched, at least. If she's a newborn, she may not know a thing."

She was cooing at Hirome, before bouncing to her shoulder and nuzzling.

"Stop that! I'm the number one pet around here!"

"Stop getting so jealous!"

"Now this explains why I always hear you argue with him." Kougetsu-papa sat heavily on the couch. "Honey.. Can you give me anything more than.. 'I can't tell you' response?"

"Well, you know about the sailor soldiers, right? I'm one of them.. Sort of. I'm like on my own, a rogue."

"You're not doing anything bad, are you?" Kougetsu-papa asked sharply.

The bird had noted the man and then suddenly surprised him by going to his shoulder. She chirped with a song and then settled into a fluffed mass.

"Awww. She likes you!" Hirome shook her finger. "No, Papa. I'm not doing bad. I'm protecting the town.. Sort of."

"I'm going to go lay down," Kougetsu-papa sat up and began to tread to the door.

"Hey, what about the.." Kitei began as Hirome shushed him. Once out of sight, Kougetsu-papa was talking.

"Sure are a friendly thing. Pretty little bird, aren't you? Who's a pretty bird? Huh? Who's a pretty bird?"

"My dad's favorite animal are birds." Hirome thought on it. "It was how my mom and dad met as teens, she was bird watching and he was watching her."

"Sort of like us."

"No, you saved me a idiotic driver."

"Well, yea, but I've been watching.. After that whole incident."

"But not before."

"Look, let's just forget that I said that."

"It's not fair.." Apollo was despondent. "Does your dad not like me? He was going to throw me out!"

"He was upset, Apollo. Come on, I didn't believe you at first either."

"So…" Kitei turned serious. "What happened after that bird took you away?"

"Went to some strange place. It was.. Colorful.. But not like Earth.. And hot, it was really, really hot. But I didn't seem to mind. We got out by going into some old temple."

"And?" Kitei asked pointedly.

"Well, I got my brooch to work. And you didn't get to see me.. You know.. Nude."

"It would've lasted for five seconds."

"We're not exactly at that step, you moron!"

Kitei turned red. "Yea, sure. I can agree with that."

"No, you like to move fast! You only dated Karin for like… three weeks!"

"That was different!"

"She was easy!"

"Of course she is! That's sort of the ones I'm usually interested in."

Kitei hurriedly backtracked. "But it's different with you, I swear that. I can wait, I can be patient, just don't toss me to the enemy again, okay?"

"You turned out fine!"

"I was nearly burned to death!"

"Stop being so dramatic!"

"You're the one that's being dramatic!"

"STOP FIGHTING!" Came the shout from above them. "You two need to relax!"

"Wanna go outside?" Hirome asked Kitei. She plucked up Apollo as the three left the home.

They spent more time together on the porch before watching Kitei leave.

"Should just tell him how you feel."

"Shut up, Apollo."

"Come on, I know you like him. And you sincerely care for him. Also for that bird."

"Apollo, she's not going to replace you. She's a pet and maybe more. She may be able to help me find that place again."

"What's so important about that place?"

"I don't know yet. But I'm sure that it is."

"And we can't work with the other sailor soldiers?"

"No. Not until the so-called infamous Sailor Moon starts acting like I matter instead of acting like I'm nothing."

Hirome kept her brooch on her, attaching it to a necklace, rather than her front bow, so that she could hide it. No one to ask any questions about it as she went about daily life and tried to figure out exactly how to stop a person who could use time at his bidding.

"Maybe it has to do with the idea of what he's going to do," Apollo mumbled around a piece of fish. Hirome had given him a slab to placate him for the fact that the bird was resting in 'their' room.

"Chiasa, come here," Hirome waved to the bird who fluttered to her mistress and landed on her head with a coo.

"Why'd you name it?" Apollo complained.

The bird glared at the cat and squawked in annoyance. "Mama, bad cat!"

"No, just an ignorant one. Apollo, what was I going to call her? It?"

"I do."

"You'd call her lunch."

Chiasa began to flutter in distress.

"No, no, honey, he's not going to eat you!" Hirome sighed. "She doesn't seem to remember that she can grow into a gigantic bird."

She took notice of the time. "Time for my date!" She hurriedly piled away her homework and ran to her closet. She was dressed in moments and out the door in minutes, Apollo at her heels with Chiasa holding onto his tail with determination at not being left behind.

Kitei was alone, window shopping as Mamoru passed him. The older man stopped and then peered in at him. "A little early to be looking at engagement rings, don't you think?"

"Looking at the necklaces and you're one to talk. You're like thirty dating a ten year old."

Mamoru's eye twitched. "One, I'm seventeen and she's fourteen. I am -not- thirty!"

"Look like an old man to me," Kitei muttered.

Poor Hirome came upon the two wrestling, Kitei obviously losing. "What the.. Hey, get off of him and go to your stupid girlfriend!"

Mamoru struggled up and then frowned at Hirome. "She's not.. Well.. She's not stupid! Look, I know you're angry with her but that's just who she is. All you need to do is look harder."

"Right, like she does?" Hirome sniped. "She grabbed for something that wasn't hers and treated something that was vital to me as nothing. I'm not going to give her any more chances. She's a crybaby, a selfish girl, and I don't need to waste anytime on her when I've got to protect my life and all those around me."

"That's what she does," Mamoru said quietly.

"She doesn't protect me, now does she? In each time I've had a problem, she's either gotten jealous or worse, she disappears. Go away!"

Hirome stomped past Mamoru who sighed. "They share a similar temper," He mentioned to Kitei as the younger man walked by the older one. "If you need us, we will help you."

Kitei stilled at that and turned to see Mamoru vanished. "Whoa…he's like.. Magic. Wonder if he wears a tuxedo when he's a magician?"

"KITEI!"

"Yea, yea, yea, on my way, you vixen."

"Don't call me that!"

"Fine. Sugarlips."

"I'm going to kill you in like five seconds."

"Back to vixen, then."

Hirome threw up her hands. "Are we going to lunch or not?"

Outside a small restaurant, the two sat, Apollo underneath and unfortunate for him, babysitting Chiasa.

"I thought naming her Chiasa was a good fit. In some legends, the Phoenix lives for one thousand years and then is reborn. She was just reborn when she came to my rescue."

Kitei wiggled his lifted foot for a moment, Chiasa bouncing on his toes with a happy trill. "So she got big, huh? She's like two inches tall!"

"Enough for me to have lunch," Apollo muttered darkly. He winced as Hirome's toes kicked him in the butt.

Not too far away, high above on a building, Aion was watching them silently. One would think he would attack outright but he had learned something quite significant.

"Two powerful crystals.." His voice held all of his greed in his tone. "One of yours and one of hers.. To bring them together would help fasten the destruction of this worthless galaxy."

But he was no fool. The older girl did not seem to intend on working with anyone but herself. So he had to get the two to work together.

He pulled back and opened up a round chart that revealed the night skies that Earth would see. He could see and read all of the constellations. There were thirteen that he was most interested in.

"Ohitsujiza! O, star of the Krios, I summon thee to do your master's bidding! Awaken your slumbering power and appear before me!" The chart turned to light as the constellation Aries shone upward and above him to form into a translucent ram who thudded onto the ground with a snarl.

It was a massive mountain sheep, just over four hundred pounds with thick, round, curled horns. Its eyes were stars, its coat was darkened with spots of lighter hues, with a thick, white fur at its neck. Its eyes turned blood red for a moment, awaiting its orders.

"My dear creature. See that girl there? Attack the people around her, make her transform. Then pin her and make it so that dear Sailor Moon comes to her aid. When that happens, I will take both of their beloved crystals as mine."

Back at the table, the clueless teens were talking once more, this time about school and their amount of seemingly impossible homework.

Kitei was adamant. "Hey, I'm about to graduate! I have a lot more on my plate than yours!"

"Did you find a college?"

"Actually, the first one I inquired about I got in."

"Lucky bastard."

Kitei smirked at her. "Aww, don't be so…"

The entire road shook as the ram hit the ground, creating a slightly deep crater into the cement. Everyone took one look and screamed, bolting in various directions in their panic.

"What the Hell is this?" Hirome pulled back. "Get going, Kitei!"

"I.."

He found himself kicked in the butt as he was shoved forward. "I can't worry about you and fight at the same time!"

She hid in a phone booth, taking her brooch as she spoke loudly. "Theia Helical Power, Make Up!"

Anyone nearby would've been blinded by the surging light. Thankfully, there was no one around. Sailor Theia exited, holding her boomerang tightly.

"Theia, it's targeting you!" Apollo landed next to her, followed closely by Chiasa who held onto Apollo's head with her sharp claws. "We're going to talk about your grip later, bird!"

"Come on and get me, you stupid.. Uh.. What animal is that?"

"SHEEP!" Apollo lunged away as Sailor Theia went in the opposite direction.

"Specifically a ram but who the Hell cares! It's supernatural, kill it!" Apollo huddled to the ground in terror.

"On it!" Sailor Theia took aim. "Shimmering Golden Arch!" She gave it all she had, the boomerang turning into a bright flame. She threw it with gusto and watched as the ram reared up and tossed the boomerang to the side with no damage.

"Damn."

Poor Sailor Theia began to run as the ram took charge. "Damn, damn, damn.. What next?"

"Hey, you evil thing!"

"Oh, god, please no!"

"For love and justice.. Hey! Pay attention to me!"

"Oh, yes, do that!" Sailor Theia begged as she ran past Sailor Moon. "Do it, do it!"

"HEY!" Sailor Moon shouted, having heard the older girl. She was tossed aside as the ram bypassed her.

Sailor Theia hit the wall, literally as she turned in a full-blown panic. "Oh…."

"Don't just stand there! Attack!" Apollo shouted.

"But.. But.."

"Mama!" Chiasa flew down hard, becoming a flaming orb.

"But.." Sailor Theia began only to feel Chiasa speak in her head.

"Trust me, I trust you.."

Sailor Theia closed her eyes and then opened them as she took aim. The fiery ball alit into a swirling, miniaturized sun, fire dancing around Sailor Theia as she shouted. "Surging Blaze!"

It grew exponentially as it flew away from her, before the orb grew wide, shimmering, flaring wings as Chiasa struck the ram hard, both sending it back and trapping it into an inferno.

It reared in pain as it tried to shake off the fire.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen shouted.

"Moon Princess Halation!"

It tried to move out of the way but to no avail as it turned to star dust. It flowed upward, a shimmering mass of twinkling lights that faded into the sky blue.

Up on top, Aion swore. "Damn it, she appeared far too quickly. Need to figure this out.. Don't worry, my dear Moon Princess, that Sun Crystal will be mine, like it was meant to be."

"Are you all right?" Sailor Moon offered to Sailor Theia who shrugged her off. "I was just asking."

"Go away."

"Hirome," Kitei had reappeared. "Come on."

"Mama!" Chiasa landed on her shoulder, looking tired.

"Oh, my poor baby," Sailor Theia pulled her into her cupped hands. "Thank you so much, you did great."

"Hey!"

"I didn't see you do anything," Sailor Theia retorted to Apollo.

"I just saved your life!"

"I didn't ask you to!"

"Hirome!" Both Apollo and Kitei shouted.

Both Sailor Moon and Theia reformed into their civilian forms. Hirome glared at Usagi who looked lost.

"You're so stubborn. Aren't we allowed mistakes?"

"Not when you do it over and over and over again. My dad didn't raise no fool. If you can't trust someone, then you can't trust them."

Usagi moved a step closer as Chiasa, stirred by Hirome's anger, reacted the same, screaming at Usagi as she turned into a flaming form of her small self. Mamoru pulled Usagi behind him protectively as Chiasa growled dangerously, her normally sapphire eyes turned blood red.

"Let's go."

Kitei held his head. "I'm trying to talk to her but it's not going that well. Maybe if you offered some sort of consolation or something. Other than 'I'm sorry but it's just who I am' deal, okay?" He picked up Apollo. "See ya."