Event 3A:  Turbulent Espionage

	"Line up, everybody!!!"  Sailor Uranus barked.  Quasar Sailors 
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune and I line up in a single row.

	"Be seated," Sailor Jupiter ordered as she and Sailors Mars and 
Uranus seat themselves in a formal seiza.  We do likewise.  "Sailor 
Uranus has some news from King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity."

	"I do indeed, Jupiter," Sailor Uranus agreed.  "Girls, I have 
received word that, in July 2996, you girls are to meet Princess 
Reenie at the Royal Palace and fight a duel with her in the brand-new 
Crystal Tokyo UltraDome.  I want you to be able to give her a good 
fight.  Show her what skillful young warriors you are!!!  Make me 
proud that I taught you!!!  But remember, don't overdo it.  Beating 
Reenie to a bloody pulp is highly frowned on."

	"Are there any questions?"  Sailor Mars asked us.

	"Sailor Mars, I . . . I . . . I don't want to fight," Quasar 
Sailor Neptune stuttered.

	"Well, isn't that too bad!?!"  Sailor Mars angrily snapped at 
Quasar Sailor Neptune.  "Does it look like I care what you want or 
don't want!?!?!"

	"Mars!!!  That's enough!!!"  Sailor Jupiter barked.  Turning to 
Quasar Sailor Neptune, "I'm afraid that you don't have much choice, 
Young Neptune.  If you don't do your thing against Reenie, I will be 
very disappointed in you and that's something neither of us wants.  
Right?"  Quasar Sailor Neptune nods her head.  You don't EVER 
disappoint Sailor Jupiter because she has several avenues she can use 
against you that are as subtle as not getting a home-cooked treat from 
her to as vengeful as being worked harder in training than the other 
students.  "I thought so."

	"You guys have been a great class," Sailor Uranus smiled.  With 
a jerk of her head, "Go on, get out of here."  Quasar Sailor Neptune 
picks herself off the ground and promptly leaves.

	"Young Saturn, I will be talking to your mother about your 
conduct this morning," Sailor Mars told Quasar Sailor Saturn.  Quasar 
Sailor Saturn gulps.  Sailor Mars has a notorious reputation for 
keeping her word.  I go to Cereberus and untie him, but something is 
telling me that I better stick around.  I watch as Sailors Mars, 
Jupiter, and Uranus begin to converse about something and Sailor 
Uranus notices that Quasar Sailor Uranus is a bit reluctant to leave 
the grounds.

	"Yes, Young Uranus, may I help you?"  Sailor Uranus asked Quasar 
Sailor Uranus.

	"What are you guys talking about?"  Quasar Sailor Uranus asked 
Sailor Uranus.

	"We could let you in on our conversation," Sailor Mars smirked, 
"but there's a cost:  two hours everyday here at Cherry Hill Temple 
helping me with my chores for a week with NO pay.  So how badly do you 
want to know?"

	"I think I have homework to do," Quasar Sailor Uranus replied as 
she takes off like a shot.  Sailor Mars allows herself an evil grin.  
She clearly enjoys forcing kids that she catches messing up crap or 
just wandering around to work at the Temple.

	"Mars, Jupiter, you guys need to begin your daughters' training 
as soon as possible," Sailor Uranus began.

	"Clotilda is only two, Uranus," Sailor Jupiter protested.

	"Ditto for Ariadne," Sailor Mars added.  "How are Jupiter and I 
going to get our daughters to pay attention?"

	"Yeah, Uranus, you know how kids can be," Sailor Jupiter agreed.  
"Especially the ones just out of infancy."

	"Yeah, I know all too well," Sailor Uranus sighed.  "We have a 
serious time crunch here.  Clotilda will be ready to turn six in 2996 
and Ariadne will have just turned five.  Even if we put the fear of 
God in your kids so that they'll learn what we have to teach them, I 
have my doubts as to whether they'll be ready to give Reenie a good 
fight like Endymion and Serenity want.  I know that Cecelia just eats 
this stuff up.  I have no idea where she puts it all!!!"

	"Well, we could bribe our kids into doing what we want them to 
do," Sailor Jupiter suggested.  "I could bake a pie or something every 
month until the tournament."

	"Bad idea, Jupiter, unless you want a fat kid that's spoiled 
rotten," Sailor Mars disagreed.  "You can do that to *your* kid if you 
want to, but I prefer to force mine to do my will."  Sailor Mars then 
pauses and pulls out a charm.  "I sense two foreign beings nearby."  
Uh, oh!!!  I know who the foreign beings are:  Cereberus and me!!!!

	"Come on, Cereberus!!!"  I yelled as I run towards the Temple's 
gate.

	"Young Pluto, when I catch you . . ." Sailor Mars threatened me 
as she gives chase.  I curse myself for staying to listen in on a 
conversation between Sailor Scouts.  Why did I do it!?!?  I know that 
trying to outrun Sailor Mars or any of the Sailor Scouts is futile 
because even as Quasar Sailor Pluto, I don't have the super strength 
or speed that the Sailor Scouts have.  Rats, Sailor Mars is gaining on 
me!!!!  Come on, Quasar Sailor Pluto, think of something!!!  Aha, I 
have it!!!  I'll perform a move that I saw on Robotech:  the 
hyperspace fold.  I hope I can pull it off.

	"I know what you're thinking, Young Pluto," Cereberus said.  
"I'll go back and stall Sailor Mars while you get the ball rolling on 
your plan."  I release the leash and Cereberus doubles back to slow 
down Sailor Mars.  With Sailor Mars occupied, I can finally stop 
running and try to pull off a hyperspace fold.  Just when I am ready 
to perform the fold, Sailor Mars repels Cereberus.

	"Mess with me, will you?!?!"  Sailor Mars snarled as she 
threatens Cereberus with a charm.  "I call upon the power of Mars . . 
."

	"Umbriel, quasar battle mode!!!"  Quasar Sailor Uranus cried as 
she releases her guardian golden eagle Umbriel in Sailor Mars's face.  
I waste no time in fleeing.  "Umbriel, relent and retreat!!!"

	"Thanks for saving my butt back there, Young Uranus," I told 
Quasar Sailor Uranus.

	"No sweat, Young Pluto," Quasar Sailor Uranus replied.  "Let's 
just get out of here."  By this time, Sailor Mars had recovered from 
Umbriel's attack and she is RAMPAGEOUS!!!!

	"Enough fooling around with you children!!!!"  Sailor Mars 
bellowed at Quasar Sailor Uranus and me.  "I call upon the power of 
Mars . . . Mars Fireballs, CHARGE!!!!"  Sailor Mars then launches her 
charm ward at Quasar Sailor Uranus.

	"Young Uranus, watch out!!!"  Umbriel screamed as he makes a 
shield of himself while I dive on Quasar Sailor Uranus.  The charm 
hits Umbriel. 

	"UMBRIEL!!!"  Quasar Sailor Uranus, Cereberus, and I cried out 
as we watch the huge 10-foot long eagle fall to the ground.

	"Umbriel, speak to me," Quasar Sailor Uranus begged as she 
strokes Umbriel's still form.  I walk closer to Quasar Sailor Uranus 
to try and be of comfort to her, but Cereberus interposes himself 
between Umbriel and me.

	"Young Pluto, I have a very bad feeling about what that charm 
did to Umbriel," Cereberus told me.  "Young Uranus, get away from 
Umbriel!!!"

	"Why should I, Cereberus?!!?!"  Quasar Sailor Uranus snapped.  
Before Cereberus and I could do anything else:

	"Now what was that command you used to make your eagle attack 
me, Young Uranus?"  Sailor Mars wondered.  "Oh, yeah:  Umbriel, quasar 
battle mode!!!"  Instantly, Umbriel wakes up and sets his sights on 
Quasar Sailor Uranus.

	"Umbriel, what's gotten into you!?!??!"  Quasar Sailor Uranus 
asked in shock as she dodges a peck.  "I'm your friend and charge!!!  
You're supposed to protect me!!!"  Umbriel stands up and tries to bite 
Quasar Sailor Uranus who wastes no time in getting out of the way.  
"Umbriel, surrender and shut down!!!"  Much to Quasar Sailor Uranus's 
astonishment, nothing happened.  "I . . . I have no control over 
Umbriel."  I roll my eyes in annoyance.  I was wondering when she 
would realize that.  An angry scream from Umbriel reminds us of our 
peril.

	"Umbriel, quit playing around and capture Young Uranus and Young 
Pluto like you have some sense!!!"  Sailor Mars demanded, annoyed at 
the whole affair.  Umbriel advances on us snapping his hooked bill at 
us.  When that fails, Umbriel lunges at us beak first.

	"This is ridiculous!!!"  I snapped, my patience completely 
expended.  "Cereberus, quasar battle mode!!!"  Immediately, Cereberus 
transforms into a hyena 20 feet long and four feet high at the 
shoulder and interposes himself between Umbriel and us.  Cereberus 
makes a lunge at Umbriel who then retreats.  "Yeah, that's it, 
Cereberus!!!"  I yell jubilantly.  "Keep driving Umbriel away from us, 
but don't hurt him!!!"

	"I'll do what I can, Young Pluto," Cereberus replied.  While 
Cereberus keeps Umbriel at bay, Quasar Sailor Uranus and I try to come 
up with a way to free him from Sailor Mars's control.

	"What's going on over here!??!"  Sailor Uranus demanded.

	"Sailor Mars took control of Umbriel and Cereberus is trying to 
keep him at bay, Sailor Uranus," I explained.  We watch as Umbriel 
takes off.  "Banzai!!!  Cereberus, you scared him off!!!"

	"Looks that way, doesn't it?"  Cereberus agreed with me.

	"Somehow, I don't think that such is the case," Sailor Uranus 
disagreed as she gets out her Space Sword and points it at the sky.  
Quasar Sailor Uranus and I look skyward to see Umbriel diving at us!!!  
"Hit the dirt!!!"  Sailor Uranus yells as she pushes us to the ground 
just in time prevent us from being stafed by Umbriel.  "That crazy 
eagle!!"  Sailor Uranus goes into a rage and unsheathes her Space 
Sword and snarls while brandishing it, "Just try that one more time 
and I'll . . ."  Now I know why Cecelia is so bad-tempered.  Umbriel 
begins his swoop and Sailor Uranus stares up at him eagerly awaiting 
the chance to attack.

	"Umbriel sure doesn't give up easily, does he?"  Cereberus 
asked.  "Young Pluto, Young Uranus, if something drastic is not done 
soon, we may lose Umbriel for good."

	"There's only one way to save Umbriel now," Quasar Sailor Uranus 
said.  "I'll have to cancel my transformation."  With that, Quasar 
Sailor Uranus unclips the Uranus Quasar Diamond from her costume.  
Immediately, Quasar Sailor Uranus becomes Cecelia Ten'oh-MacGrinrun.  
I strongly consider canceling my own transformation and grab the Pluto 
Quasar Onyx to do so.  I unclip it and Cereberus reverts back to 
normal.  

	"Space Sword . . . what?!!?"  Sailor Uranus shouted as Umbriel 
reverts back to normal.

	"Umbriel, arrive and rendezvous," Cecelia said as she puts on a 
heavy glove on her left hand and holds out her left forearm.  Umbriel 
flutters down to sit on Cecelia's outstretched arm.  "Come on, 
Claribel; let's get out of here before something else happens."  As 
I'm turning to walk away, I could see Sailor Uranus beating the crap 
out of Sailor Mars for trying to use her charms on Cecelia.