EPISODE 044

Usagi no kakusei! Choukako no message

(Usagi's Awakening! A Message from the Distant Past )

Original Air Date: 02-13-1993
Director: Takao Yoshizawa
Animation Director: Hisashi Kagawa
Writer: Sukehiro Tomita

Screencaps

What's In This Episode?
D Point, Kunzite, Moon Kingdom, Moon Stick, Queen Beryl, Queen Metallia, Queen Serenity

Luna races through the streets, back to Usagi's house. When she arrives, Usagi is in the midst of a dream about Tuxedo Kamen. Luna wakes her up and tells her that there is big news: Artemis and Sailor Venus have found the entrance to the Dark Kingdom's lair.

At the cafe La Crepe, Sailor Venus shows the other Senshi the portal she has found to the Dark Kingdom's lair. Luna and Artemis run ahead, closely followed by the Senshi. Suddenly, a burst of energy comes rushing through the tunnel and Kunzite appears. He says, "I would love to welcome you ladies to the Dark Kingdom, but preparations to receive you are not ready yet. So I will take you somewhere more fun."

Sailor Jupiter attacks with Supreme Thunder. Kunzite dodges the attack and tells Sailor Moon that if she hands over the Ginzuishou, he will let her live. She replies that if he tells her what he's done with Tuxedo Kamen, she won't punish him! She brandishes the Moon Stick.

Kunzite tells her that he will send her to the chaotic world of multiple dimensions... "It may be the primitive era in Africa when dinosaurs roamed, or it may be the era in Europe when fierce wars broke out." Sailor Moon says that she doesn't want to end up in a world like that! He blasts the girls with a burst of energy, causing them to fly backwards. Sailor Moon accidentally releases the Moon Stick, and Kunzite attempts to grab it, although he fails.

The Ginzuishou (attached to the Moon Stick) glows and disappears with the Senshi. It guides the girls and appears again amidst the ruins on the Moon Kingdom. The Senshi are temporarily knocked unconscious, but Sailor Moon soon wakes up and wonders where she is. A voice says, "These are the ruins of the Silver Millennium, the land of gods that once attained the pinnacle of glory."

The small spirit of Queen Serenity appears behind Sailor Moon in a golden sphere of light. She says, "I am here to bring you a message from the distant past. I am the incarnation of the moon goddess, Serene. I am the queen of the Silver Millennium, Queen Serenity. I am your mother. I revived Luna and Artemis from their cold sleep, had them make contact with you, and watched over all of you."

All of the Senshi crowd around Queen Serenity, shocked by what she is saying. The sphere of light expands to cover all of them, and they are taken back in time as she tells her story of the past.

"We are long-living life forms born on the moon. Our mission is to protect the sacred will passed down to us on the moon, the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou, and to watch over and aid the progression of Earth's evolution. Remember, Serenity... of the time when you were living as the princess of the moon. Serenity, you adored the green trees and wind of the beautiful blue Earth, and often gazed up at it. Then you found love."

A ball on the Moon Kingdom is shown, with dancing and fireworks. Princess Serenity stands on a balcony, looking up at the Earth in the sky. Prince Endymion calls out to her from below. He tells her that something terrible has happened... "Most of us on Earth have been brainwashed by Beryl. Beryl has been possessed by an evil energy called Metallia. And now, she is taking advantage of the humans' yearning for the longevity of your people and getting ready to attack the moon." The guards see him and he runs away, telling her, "... at the ball...!"

Meanwhile, Luna and Artemis are still inside the tunnel leading to the Dark Kingdom's lair. They wonder where everyone has gone, but are resolved to find the Dark Kingdom. They see a light ahead in the tunnel and run towards it... but soon find themselves in a frozen tundra. Artemis exclaims, "The North Pole?!"

Back in the flashback of the Moon Kingdom, the ball commences and various couples are dancing. Princess Serenity arrives, and Prince Endymion (masked like Tuxedo Kamen) asks her to dance. While the couple shares a dance, Endymion tells her, "There is no doubt that a war is about to break out between your people and us Earth people. I will be your future enemy, so it would be bad for my identity to be known now... so please, pardon my appearance. Metallia is not a human being; she is a mass of evil energy. Beryl is a witch. By using the power of Metallia, she is trying to conquer the moon and Earth."

The couple goes out onto the balcony to speak in private. Endymion tells her, "If we do nothing, this moon will be destroyed. We must not waste a moment in obliterating Metallia, who possesses an enormous amount of evil energy, and crushing Beryl's ambitions! I would like your help in this, Serentiy. Will you believe what I just told you?" She says that she will, and they kiss. Serenity sheds a tear.

Metallia, Beryl, and their army of humans race towards the moon. Luna and Artemis run through the ball, alerting the people of the moon that they are under attack. An enormous explosion blasts the palace. The Senshi immediately use a combination of their attacks against Metallia, but it fails and they are attacked.

Queen Beryl laughs and says, "Starting today, I will rule both Earth and the moon! I will not allow anyone to defy me! Our beloved Metallia, this is the birth of our Dark Kingdom!" She then releases a massive amount of energy into the area, causing all surrounding Moon Kingdom structures the crumble. The four Dark Kingdom Shitennou stand ahead of the army, and Kunzite laughs.

[Commercial Break]

The Moon Kingdom is devastated by Beryl and Metallia's attack. Beryl soon appears before Princess Serenity and attacks her, but Endymion intervenes by throwing a rose between the women to stop the attack. He tells Beryl that he will never forgive her if she lays a single finger on the princess. He then leaps in front of his beloved in order to protect her further.

Beryl asks, "Why do you protect the princess of the moon? You are the prince of Earth. If you just marry me, you could be king of both the moon and Earth!" He tells her that she is being misguided by Metallia, who is full of evil energy. He encourages her to wake up and free her mind!! She then screams at him to shut up, and releases another huge burst of energy.

Endymion flies through the air, and Princess Serenity runs after him. She leaps into the wind and manages to grab his hand, but another burst of energy blasts them apart again.

Queen Serenity looks on and sees both Endymion and Princess Serenity floating in the air, dead. The queen sinks to her knees and tears fill her eyes. She affixes the Ginzuishou to the Moon Stick, which releases a pink light. Luna warns her that if she uses it, she will die... but the queen says that her life is nothing compared to peace on the moon and Earth.

She raises the Moon Stick above her head and recites, "Moon Healing Escalation!" The power of the Ginzuishou destroys the Dark Kingdom's army.

Back at the North Pole, Artemis falls to the ground, but Luna tells him to hang in there. He tells her that he is fine and asks how she is doing. She says that she is doing fine as well; she can't die until they find the Dark Kingdom's lair! They suddenly stumble upon a large crater filled with swirling purple mist... it is the entrance to the Dark Kingdom's lair. As they rush back to find the other Senshi, Kunzite confronts them and says that it is too late.

In the flashback of the Silver Millennium, Queen Serenity tells the Luna and Artemis of the past that the Ginzuishou can be used for peace if it is used with the energy of a good heart. If it is used with the energy of an evil heart, it can become a terrible weapon. She has sealed away Metallia with the power of the crystal, but she doesn't know when the evil entity will be revived again.

She holds up the Moon Stick, saying that it can only be used by a descendant of the Moon Kingdom. She tells the cats that if Metallia is ever revived in the future, they should give the wand to Princess Serenity and protect the peaceful world. Luna and Artemis agree to do so. She hopes that in the future on Earth, Princess Serenity and the Senshi's love is fulfilled.

She releases the Ginzuishou into the sky, and it emits a bright flash of light. The Senshi and all of the deceased people of the moon are encased in bubbles. The float away towards the Earth, where the queen hopes that they will live happy lives. The queen, having used the last of her strength, dies. When she drops the Moon Stick, it glows and encases Luna and Artemis in capsules so that they may also go to Earth.

The flashback ends, and the Senshi are guided by the Ginzuishou back to the tunnel leading to the Dark Kingdom's lair. Now they know why they are Sailor Senshi. Sailor Moon cries and clings to the Moon Stick, remembering her mother.

Suddenly, they hear Luna and Artemis cry out. The cats are back inside the tunnel, but are being attacked by Kunzite. The Senshi stand up to him and tell him that they have recovered their past memories. Sailor Moon demands that he hand over Endymion, but he once again tells them that he will do so only if they give him the Ginzuishou.

He uses a burst of energy to extinguish all light in the tunnel, then creates two sharp knives made of energy which cut Sailor Moon. He is confident that their attacks will not work within "his" space, so he attacks the girls with the knives. Sailor Moon is left unconscious. The other girls combine their powers to protect Sailor Moon until she revives, but in the process, they are badly hurt by Kunzite's attacks.

Once Sailor Moon revives, she raises the Moon Stick and uses Moon Healing Escalation against Kunzite. This angers him, so he continues attempting to attack her. When he throws one of the knives at her, she uses the Moon Stick to deflect the attack, which cuts directly into him. He is destroyed with his own weapon.

Luna notes that Sailor Moon has just used a tremendous power. When Sailor Moon rushes forward to scoop the cat up in her arms, Luna tells her that the entrance to the Dark Kingdom is located at D Point at the North Pole. Artemis warns her that if she and the Senshi don't hurry, the sunspot will expand... they must launch a surprise attack on the Dark Kingdom. The girls resolve to march into the Dark Kingdom right away.