Sailor Moon Episode 97

Episode title: Tainted Tea Party

Original American Airdate: 6/30/2000

Original Canadian Airdate: 11/04/2000

"Hi everybody! I'm Rini, also known as Sailor Mini Moon. I've come back to the world of the twenty first century to study and train among the other Sailor Scouts. I hope you're all gonna give me a hand while I'm here."

Rini bowed graciously. The girls looked at her, confused. Serena was standing there with her arms crossed.

"Who would have sent you here without warning?" She said. Rini reached into her pocket and pulled out a note. She walked right past Serena and gave it to Mina to read. Serena was furious.

"We appreciate your offer of completing the training of our dear Rini. We are very grateful, and hope you will look after our daughter. Thank you." Mina looked at the girls. "That's it."

"You mean there's no more?" Raye said. Luna was surprised, as Neo Queen Serenity was very much like Serena.

"You're totally right, Luna." Mina replied after Serena screamed at Luna. "I had to read this with my imagination." She held out the letter, and it was mostly symbols. The girls all looked and studied the letter, much to Serena's displeasure.

"We have to think about what we'll do with Rini, okay?" Serena said, with a bright red face. The girls turned to face Rini.

"I wonder what kind of training her mother had in mind." Mina wondered. Lita thought it pointless to learn to be a princess from Serena.

"What if she learns all the bad habits Serena seems to know?" Raye said, not noticing Serena fuming.

"That's right." Rini replied. "The future Mars told me to watch out because Serena was careless and selfish, and a bit clumsy."

Serena blew up like an atomic bomb, and began fighting with Raye. Raye and Serena went at it for a while.

"Don't worry." Rini said. "I'm very different from Serena. I'm not clumsy at all."

"If there's anything we can do to help, don't hesitate to ask, Rini." Amy said. Rini thanked them and ran off to train. Mina suddenly spotted something else in the note.

"PS," she read, "Dear Serena, in the twenty first century, it has been my experience that it is always best to study hard when one is young, and I hope you follow this principle."

"As if she likes studying." Mina, Lita and Amy said.

"I hate studying!" Serena cried, Raye pinching her cheek.

Meanwhile, Rini was walking the streets, enjoying herself. She remembered a conversation she had with her mother before she left. Her mother had told her to make as many friends as she could in the twenty first century.

Rini stood in a park, watching children running around her in pairs. Just then, a small doll bounced to her feet. Rini picked it up, and looked where it came from. There, she beheld the most handsome young boy she'd ever seen. Could this boy be a valuable friendship? Rini thought. She blushed fiercely, and asked him if it was his figurine.

As an answer, he began to gyrate his hips, much to Rini's embarrassment. He danced around knocked Rini over.

"Hey? What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?" The boy said, jumping on Rini for a few seconds. "You shouldn't run away like that. You'll only hurt your knees." The boy continued to do his own strange little dance. "It's okay. Stay where you are. I'll show you something." With that, the boy grabbed hold of his belt, and in a split second, his shorts and underwear were high in the air, in his hands. Just then, the boy's mother came along and dragged him home.

Rini was walking down the street later, still recovering from her experience. She looked up, and at the corner of the street, she saw a girl walking by. Rini, hoping against hope that she could find a new friend, ran after the girl. She walked through by a rack of bikes, but the girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Hi, Rini!" A voice said. Rini looked over and saw Darien. Suddenly elated, she leapt into Darien's arms. She told Darien about her training, and suddenly, they both noticed an infuriated Serena.

"I'll have you know Darien was with me first!" She growled.

"He can be with me for a little bit!" Rini said, hugging Darien tightly.

"No way you little brat!" Serena screamed. She and Rini fought over Darien as they dragged him towards a bench. They sat at the bench eating quietly. Rini tried to feed Darien a piece of popcorn, and she and Serena ended up fighting over it.

"Looks like two parents with an out of control kid." Said a voice. "Long time no see, little Rini." It was Amara and Michele, dressed in kimonos. Rini was enamoured with her 'cousins', though Serena reminded her that Amara and Michele were not her real cousins. Of course, a fight ensued.

"Can't you stop fighting, even for a minute?" Darien yelled. The two girls stopped fighting. Amara and Michele laughed.

"We were thinking of going to a tea house." Michele said. "Would you three like to come along?"

Darien started to refuse, but was drowned out by Serena's acceptance. Darien, Serena, Rini, Amara and Michele all sat in the tea house on their knees, honoring the tradition. The door slid open, and there was the girl Rini saw earlier.

"That's Tanasaboro." Michele said. "She's the principal of the Aboro Koshi school, where they teach the art of preparing and serving tea."

Tanasaboro welcomed them and bowed. The others bowed gracefully, except Serena, who did an "all hail thee" bow. Rini was elated.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tomo was preparing his own cup of tea. He drank the entire cup down in one gulp, and then spit it back into the cup. He threw it against the wall because it was too hot. He stood up, and got an idea.

"Yes, if you think the Tea Master is the one." Eudial said, on the phone with Tomo. She pressed some keys, and a picture of Tanasaboro appeared on her computer screen. Tomo was pleased that things were ready, and he created a new Daimon pod. Using his oven device, he fused the pod with a large tea kettle, and send the box containing the Heart Snatcher to the Witches 5 lab. The box went into Eudial's car, and Eudial was on her way. This time, her car appeared on an airport runway, and she sped towards her target.

Meanwhile, Tanasaboro was mixing the tea quickly. The girls and Darien sat silently in a row, but Serena was quietly suffering.

"How can they stand it?" She said to herself. "My feet are killing me! My legs hurt. My feet are completely numb by now! I can't stand it, let's go home!"

"You're such a crybaby, Serena." Rini said. Amara put a small bowl of small balls on a stick. Taking them for candy, Rini ate them hungrily. Serena tapped her on the shoulder, and gestured towards Amara and Michele. Rini looked on as Amara and Michele both took the balls off the stick, then cut them in half and ate them slowly. Rini blushed at her embarrassment. Serena snickered, and Rini punched her numb foot. Serena screamed in pain many times over, and fell over panting as she regained her composure. She sat back up and glared at Rini. Then, at the same time, Rini and Serena's feet were hit, and both of them screamed in pain.

"If you're more comfortable like that, you can stretch your legs." Tanasaboro said. Serena and Rini were now embarrassed at their lack of grace. Tanasaboro decided to do something different. She took one of her tea bowls and balanced it atop a scoop (I don't know what it is).

"She's a true tea master." Amara said.

"She has a kind and true heart, doesn't she?" Michele added. Rini, Serena and Darien looked at the two.

"The master's trying to make us relax because she knows the tea ceremony seems very long and intense for first timers." Amara continued.

"It seems pretty risky to do a juggling act with an antique bowl." Michele said. "That must be worth an absolute fortune."

Serena gasped loudly, and tried to save the bowl. Because of her numb feet however, she tripped and fell into Tanasaboro. The bowl and scoop flew high into the air. Michele, Amara and Darien all leapt to save the bowl. All three caught it on their fingertips. It came at the price of stepping on Serena's head. Rini just looked down, embarrassed while Amara and Michele apologized profusely.

After the incident, Darien had treated Serena and Rini to ice cream.

"That was really awful!" Rini said. "You acted so ditzy in there. You made us all look ridiculous in front of the master! You're awful, Serena!"

"I know, I made such a fool out of myself in front of Amara and Michele." Serena said, taking in a piece of her sundae.

"That's totally your problem!" Rini shot.

"Little nerd!" Serena shot back. Darien told Serena to calm down.

"I guess you like Tanasaboro, don't you, Rini?" He asked. Rini blushed.

"Well, you see, my mommy told me before I left her:" Rini replied, "'Make friends with as many people as you can in the twenty first century.' So many new acquaintences could bring me a valuable friendship."

"Is that right?" Darien said. "I imagine that in the world you live in in the future, you might have very few friends to play with."

"Why didn't you say so before, Rini?" Serena asked. "I would've helped you meet new people."

"I don't believe you." Rini scowled. "You would have only made things a big mess."

Before Serena could yell at Rini, Darien held her back, and told the two to become friends instead of enemies. Serena held out her hand, and Rini shook it insincerely, after much reluctance.

Later, Rini skipped down the street, decked out in a kimono. She was accompanied by Serena and Luna. Serena and Rini started fighting over it, and were just in time to jump out of the way as a car shot past them. Serena gasped in shock, seeing Eudial in the window. Eudial stopped the car, and then sped into Tanasaboro's property. Rini saw a fence that led to the property. It was more or less a wooden frame with foliage covering the spaces between. Rini slipped through one of the spaces, and Serena tried to tail her. Serena however, got stuck. As she struggled, a bird landed on her butt and started pecking at it.

"Oh no!" Eudial shouted. "I'll have to work on these stops!" She crashed her car into a stone statue, which got Tanasaboro's attention inside the tea house. She came outside, and saw Eudial get out of her car. Without warning, Eudial shot her gun at Tanasaboro, and out came her Heart Crystal. Rini saw the sight as she ran towards the tea house.

"MOON PRISM POWER!"

Before her transformation could finish, Rini tripped and hit the ground. She got up and continued running to rescue her friend. Before Eudial could gather Tanasaboro's Heart Crystal, Sailor Mini Moon jumped and stood in front of it.

"I'll never let you take Tanasaboro's heart, you fiend!" She shouted. "I'm a precious Sailor Scout! I stand for justice! I stand for love! I'm Sailor Mini Moon!"

Eudial, unimpressed, sent out her Heart Snatcher. She took off her lab coat, and sent the Heart Snatcher towards Mini Moon. The Heart Snatcher threw a large object attatched to a rope at Mini Moon. Mini Moon managed to get Tanasaboro's Heart Crystal before she was trapped in the object. Mini Moon was dragged closer and closer to the Heart Snatcher.

"WORLD SHAKING!"

Eudial managed to get out of the way in time, just before Sailor Uranus' attack could hit her.

"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"

The submerging attack of Neptune's power hit the Heart Snatcher, freeing Sailor Mini Moon.

"Out of the future, into the present, I fight for justice! I'm Sailor Uranus!"

"Out of the oceans of the future, and into the present, I'm Sailor Neptune!"

Neptune and Uranus inspected the Heart Crystal and found nothing. Eudial leapt into her car and sped off, leaving things in the hands of the Heart Snatcher.

"She's always looking out for number one." The Heart Snatcher mumbled. "But that's no big surprise. I'll get rid of those pests myself."

The Heart Snatcher turned to see that only Sailor Mini Moon remained. Uranus, Neptune, and even Tanasaboro were gone. Even Mini Moon didn't know where they were.

"PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!"

It took a while, but Mini Moon's wand shot the tiny hearts that it had before. However, they didn't reach the Heart Snatcher. How come it's not working? Mini Moon thought, frustrated. Maybe I have to get closer. She inched towards the Heart Snatcher, which was having a cup of tea. One step at a time she thought. As the Heart Snatcher finished its tea, Sailor Mini Moon was close enough to pelt it with the powers from her wand. Just then, Luna saw the sight and told Serena to transform.

"MOON COSMIC POWER!"

"Sailor Mini Moon, leave it to me!" A voice shouted. "Sorry I'm so late! But now I'm hear, and you have nothing to fear! I fight for love, and I fight for justice! I'm Sailor Moon, and I will punish you in the name of the moon!"

While Sailor Mini Moon and Sailor Moon argued about why Sailor Moon was late, the Heart Snatcher knocked Mini Moon on her face, and began throwing hot tea at Sailor Moon. As Sailor Moon dodged the hot splashes, Mini Moon took her opportunity, and hit the Heart Snatcher in the face with her attack again. The Heart Snatcher threw hot tea at Mini Moon, but Sailor Moon grabbed the child and ran with her. The Heart Snatcher chased the two to a wall and cornered them. There, the Heart Snatcher got ready to finish them off, but a red rose flashed down and knocked the tea bowl to the ground.

"The idea of the tea ceremony is to treat your guests like it's your only chance to do so." Tuxedo Mask said, standing behind the fence that Sailor Moon and Mini Moon were trapped against. "Don't spoil this beautiful tradition, or you'll regret it!"

The Heart Snatcher, unamazed, threw off its cloak, and began to remove its robe underneath.

"You'll have to accept what I offer, and when I choose to offer it!" It shouted. Tuxedo Mask cued Sailor Moon.

"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"

The tea kettle was returned to normal, and the Daimon pod came out. It broke, sending its spirit into the air.

"Sailor Moon," Mini Moon said, looking downwards, "I have to tell you." She paused.

"What is it?" Sailor Moon said, preparing for something bad.

"Well, you know." Mini Moon replied, pausing. "Thank you."

Uranus and Neptune watched from afar, carrying Tanasaboro.

"The little one did a good job too, despite her age." Uranus said. Neptune agreed.

"That girl has a really kind heart." Tanasaboro murmured.

After the threat was neutralized, Rini and Serena attempted another visit to the tea house. As they arrived, Amara and Michele quickly ran out of the tea house.

"Why are Amara and Michele leaving already?" Serena wondered. They went into the the tea house, and knelt. When Tanasaboro opened the door and came in, Serena and Rini shot backwards, gasping in almost complete terror. Tanasaboro was dressed like a Sailor Scout.

"I saw a Sailor Scout appear when I was knocked out," Tanasaboro said, "and I thought she was like, totally stylish, you know? I've invented a new style tea ceremony. I am now Sailor Tanasaboro! I fight for hospitality! I fight for good manners!"

Serena and Rini ran for their lives.

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