Sailor Moon Quasar: A Plutonian Girl and Her Dog Chibi-Mamoru Darien Chiba Chapter 5 Event 5C: The Bitter Truth "Claribel, I must say that I'm impressed with the way you did these math exercises," Kerwin smiled. "Thanks, Papa," I told Kerwin. "Now if you can realize results like these in history . . . ," Sharon remarked. I shudder nervously. "Don't pay any attention to your mother, Claribel," Kerwin said as he casts a disapproving look at Sharon. "As long as you do your best and work hard in school, I'm proud of you." Kerwin and I embrace. "Oh, God; I'll never be able to retire from guarding the Time Gate," Sharon grumbled. "Is guarding that stupid Time Gate all you think our daughter is good for!?!?!?" Kerwin snarled at Sharon. "I should have smacked you for referring to Claribel as the 'relief you needed from guarding the Time Gate'!!! Claribel should be allowed to decide her own destiny!!! Oh, my bad, I'm not Sailor Pluto, but I don't have to be to see that Claribel has potential to do great things with her life, like running Del Trabajador Enterprises or engineering or modeling. Or being a good wife or mother. Shoot, Claribel might just be able to terraform Mercury, Mars, or even Pluto. You ever thought about that!?!? As her parents, it's our job to instill her with values and morals that will help her choose wisely. There's no need to regularly terrorize Claribel into making good choices; I believe that we can eventually get to a point where Claribel will make good choices because she *wants* to, not to avoid being punished. Sharon, Claribel is only ten, for crying out loud!!! That's much too young to train Claribel to do anything for the rest of her life." "I beg to differ with you, Kerwin," Sharon disagreed. "Like it or not, Claribel DOES have the power of Sailor Pluto inside of her and her Sailor Scout training will continue at its current pace. She was born with that power and she will learn how to use it even if I have to beat it into her!!!" "I can't believe you just said that," Kerwin told Sharon in shock. "It's bad enough you began our daughter's Sailor Scout training a week after she turned six. I didn't say anything at first because I thought you and Claribel were just going to work off a few pounds, but now I see that all you care about molding Claribel in your image!! Well, I accept Claribel for what she is!!!" Kerwin then marches out of the house. "You want to leave, Kerwin!?!?" Sharon yelled. "Go ahead!!! I can raise Claribel just fine without you!!! I don't need you!!!!" Sharon then grabs me and slams the door. "What are you staring at me for?!!?" "You drove my papa away, you spiteful harridan!!!!" I told Sharon. "I hate you!!!" I wrestle free of Sharon and head to Cerebeus's pen in the back yard. "Cereberus, wake up," I bark. Cereberus wakes up and looks at me. "Claribel Mei'ou, this had better be important!!!" Cereberus growled irritably. "I was dreaming about getting some pussy and if I hurry, my partner won't leave." "Ewwww!!! Gross!!!!" I whined in disgust. "Cereberus, couldn't you dream about anything else!?!? Wait a minute; I didn't come here for this. Cereberus, I need you to help me find my papa!!!" "Claribel, you sound like your father was kidnapped by aliens which he wasn't," Cereberus grumbled. "He's probably at the grocery store or at work or out somewhere blowing off some steam from dealing with your mother. He loves you too much to just walk away from you and never come back." "Please, Cereberus," I begged. "You have to help me!! I can't go out there by myself!!!" "I don't have to do anything for you, Claribel," Cereberus said coldly as he lays down and prepares to go back to sleep. "If you had kept after your father, you might have caught up with him, but now, who knows where he could be?" I collapse to my knees floored by Cereberus's harsh reprimand. "Look, Claribel, if you had come to me during the day, I would have helped you in a heartbeat," Cereberus tells me in a lighter tone of voice. "I do remember that your father used to camp out in his office before he married your mother and had you. Chances are good that he's at his penthouse office." "Will you please escort me there, Cereberus?" I requested. "No, I will not, Claribel," Cereberus replied. He then goes to sleep. Well, Claribel, Cereberus won't escort you, so you'll have to go alone. I rise to my feet and brush the dirt off my butt and legs. I think I can make it out of the back yard by myself. Okay, here I go. My steps progress slowly at first. Come on, Claribel; one foot in front of the other. I make it to the gate and head on through. Okay, so far; so good. As I set off for the headquarters of Del Trabajador Enterprises, two questions plague me: what am I doing running around outside at night and am I going to keep it together long enough to get where I'm going?