EPISODE 169

Noroi no Makyou! Akumu ni Torawareta Mamoru
(Evil Mirror Under a Curse! Mamoru in a Nightmare Trap)

Original Air Date: 04-13-1996



In a darkened room, a girl stands in front of a mirror, staring vacantly into it. Nehellenia's reflection briefly appears in the mirror, and she can be heard laughing...

[Title Screen]

Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru sit at home watching a television news report about a mysterious disease being spread among young women that causes them to lose their energy when they wake up in the morning. The disease is suspected to be caused by mental stress. Hotaru says, "a white moon covered by the black evil darkness... The shining blonde hair is attacked by an evil wish... a mirror." Michiru holds up her mirror and remarks that the recent villains have been mirrors. As she is looking into her mirror, she suddenly sees a brief flash of a beautiful woman, but it quickly disappears and returns to her own reflection.

Meanwhile, bells can be heard at Juuban High School, and Minako and Usagi frantically run up the stairs, late. The come to a landing and see a boy with long hair gazing into a mirror. Usagi comes to a screeching halt and scolds him, telling him that he doesn't have time to be relaxing. Minako reminds her that she doesn't have time to worry about others, and the two run off. A golden light flashes in the boy's eye.

Ami and Makoto are already in class, and step outside to meet Minako and Usagi when they hear them coming. Minako and Usagi are afraid a teacher will be coming soon, but Makoto and Ami inform them that the first class has become independent study time, because all of the teachers are having an emergency meeting. The two late girls wonder if the meeting is in order to set up punishment for habitual late-comers, but Ami assures them that that is not the case. She tells them that there are many absences, particularly young girls.

Usagi wonders if the flu is spreading, and Minako hopes that school will be closed. Makoto tells them that they are both wrong; that she has heard that several girls have been losing their energy just after waking up. The four girls go to the restroom to discuss it, and Minako says that she heard about it on television.

As Makoto steps out of the bathroom, Usagi bumps into her and scolds her for stopping so fast. They see a girl in the hallway gazing into her compact. Usagi asks her why she is looking into the mirror so intently, but gets no response. She snatches the mirror away from the girl and looks into it. A dark energy begins to come forth from the mirror, and Makoto runs forward to knock the compact out of Usagi's hand and onto the floor, where it breaks.

The owner of the compact is distraught, but says nothing. Makoto apologizes and offers the girl her own compact, but the girl only says, "Now that I've lost this mirror, how can I go on living?" Ami comments that the girl's reaction seems a bit too strong. Just then, the girl's eye flashes with a golden light, and Usagi is reminded of the shine in Mamoru's eye. She begins to worry about Mamoru.

At Mamoru's apartment, the doorbell rings. Mamoru ignores it, and continues setting up mirrors all over the place. Asanuma Ittou (his name does not appear in the actual episode, but does appear in the credits) stands outside, calling for Mamoru and ringing the bell, but is ignored. Usagi sees Asanuma from behind a corner, and finds him to be suspicious. When he leaves, she goes to the door and rings the bell several times herself.

Lucky for Usagi, she has "something which proves Mamoru's love" - a duplicate key! She triumphantly holds it in the air before unlocking the door and walking in. She finds that the apartment is very dark, and wonders why there are so many mirrors. She initially thinks that Mamoru is not home, but eventually finds him standing in front of a mirror. His eye flashes with gold light, and a shadow appears in the mirror. Usagi calls out his name and rushes forward, accidentally stepping on a mirror and breaking it. He turns and angrily asks why she is there, scorning her for coming into his room without his consent. She tells him that she is worried about him, but he says she shouldn't worry. He walks over to the broken mirror and says, "poor thing..." When he cuts his finger on it, Usagi rushes to help him. He pushes her away, but quickly apologizes, saying that he has been sick for a while.

Mamoru says that he needs a rest, and Usagi tells him that she has brough a lunch that her mother made for him. She says that she asked her mother to put in lots of vegetables for added vitamins, and that she will leave the lunch in the kitchen. She also apologizes for breaking the mirror, and leaves, still worried about her boyfriend.

[Commercial Break]

At the Hikawa Jinja shrine, Usagi tells her friends about finding Mamoru's room full of mirrors, and the strange way he was acting. They decide that he may be suffering from the mysterious disease that has been going around lately. Rei thinks back to the strange way the shrine's mirror was behaving in the previous episode, and to the senshi's last battle with the Mirror Palais Dolly. She determines that the disease must be related to mirrors in some way, and everyone agrees that this must be true.

Suddenly, Hotaru appears behind them and begins speaking. She says, "A White Moon covered by the black evil darkness... The shining blonde hair is attacked by an evil wish..." The girls turn around to find Hotaru and Setsuna standing behind them. They say that something dark is approaching, and repeat what Hotaru said. ChibiUsa asks what it means, and Makoto replies that someone is jealous of Sailor Moon, and trying to hurt her.

Hotaru says that it is clear that something is going to happen, while at the same time, something is going to end. As she talks, we see cherry blossoms falling in the night. Hotaru continues, saying that everything will change. Sailor Pluto and Saturn are shown running, as Setsuna says that it is Hotaru who recognized the darkness approaching, and finally awakened as Sailor Saturn once again. Super Sailor Moon is shown running as Usagi wonders if the darkness is what caused her to transform into Eternal Sailor Moon.

Scenes of the senshi running are shown as Hotaru continues talking, saying that on the night the broken shards of the mirror fell to the earth, she was threatened because most of the mirrors in the city were attacked by a beautiful woman. She says that at that time, she knew what she must do. Ami and Rei ask if that is the reason for the strange occurrences lately, and Hotaru replies that the cause must have been the evil power sneaking into the mirrors. Setsuna warns, "Don't look at mirrors without caution; you will be trapped by the evil power."

Super Sailor Moon is shown running again, and Usagi asks if Mamoru has been trapped by the evil influence of the mirrors. She says that she saw some dark shadows in the mirrors at his apartment, and a flashback of Mamoru standing in front of the mirror is shown. We see Super Sailor Moon running again, and Usagi tells her friends that when she was in her room the other day, she had a strange feeling. Setsuna says that darkness is approaching the prince, and urges them to go to Mamoru's apartment, saying that Haruka will be there already.

Sailor Uranus is shown performing her Space Sword Blaster attack to destroy several Mirror Palais Dolly. She is scene standing back-to-back with Sailor Neptune, who attacks with Submarine Reflection. Some of the Mirror Palais Dolly are destroyed, but more appear to take their place. Sailor Pluto performs her Dead Scream attack as Super Sailor Moon and the rest of the senshi arrive. As more Mirror Palais Dolly appear, Sailor Pluto says that she and the Outer Senshi will stand guard outside, but the Inner Senshi must go inside to save the prince.

The Inner Senshi wait for the elevator, but when the door opens, a Mirror Palais Dolly attacks them. Sailor Jupiter manages to destroy it with Jupiter Oak Evolution, and the senshi run towards the stairs. Super Sailor Moon suddenly stops running and says that she recognizes the dark shadow... it is Nehellenia!

When the senshi reach Mamoru's apartment, they find that the entire place is covered from wall to wall with hundreds of mirrors. In a monotone voice, Mamoru says that he feels relaxed when he looks at them. His eye shimmers with a golden light. Super Sailor Moon runs to him and pleads with him, telling him not to look into the mirror anymore. He slaps her and tells her to shut up. ChibiUsa yells at him, but he ignores her and continues to gaze into the mirror.

Nehellenia suddenly appears inside the mirror and says, "White Moon Princess! How have you been?" Mamoru leans against the mirror, and Usagi demands to know what the evil queen is doing to him. Nehellenia replies, "While I was under a seal in that dark, cold, and narrow place, you laughed at me from the outside world... surrounded by your beloved people, under bright sunshine, streaming your blonde hair in the wind... I'll bring all that you love to ruin. Like this!" She thrusts one hand out of the mirror and grabs Mamoru's shoulder, pulling him into the mirror with her.

Super Sailor Moon rushes forward to attempt to save Mamoru, but crashes into the mirror and falls to the ground. Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury attack with Mars Flame Sniper and Mercury Aqua Rhapsody, but the attacks do nothing. Queen Nehellenia stands in the mirror, holding Mamoru, and says, "My evil power does not give way to such child's play!" Everyone concentrates power on Super Sailor Moon so that she transforms into Eternal Sailor Moon. As she transforms, Nehellenia sends Mirror Palais Dolly to attack the senshi. Fortunately, the villains are disintegrated by Eternal Sailor Moon's Eternal Tiare. She demands that Nehellenia return Mamoru to her.

Without warning, Eternal Sailor Moon suddenly transforms back into Super Sailor Moon and falls to her knees. Nehellenia laughs at her and says, "Look at this... your beloved man is now being embraced by my arms! Look at all the sorrow, hate, and despair in the world... This man's mind is filled with a nightmare by my curse. Your voice no longer reaches him." Mamoru's eye shines with the golden light. Nehellenia tells Sailor Moon that by the next dawn, Mamoru's mind will be completely occupied. "Can you reach me by that time, Sailor Moon?" she asks, as she fades away, laughing.

Sailor Moon screams Mamoru's name as she runs to the mirror and pounds her fists on the glass. Inside the mirror realm, Nehellenia holds Mamoru.