Act 43
The first volume of the Stars arc starts off with Usagi and Mamoru, the Inners and the Outers witnessing a series of shooting stars that already foreshadow the enemy that they are about to meet: Galaxia. Her dark energy has already become so strong, that Usagi dreams of the Golden Queen at night, leaving her wide-eyed and startled when she awakens the following morning.
School starts once more for our heroes, but this time with a few changes; Michiru and Haruka have now started attending the same school as Usagi & Co. as well (we even get to see Haruka in a girl's school-uniform ^_^) and Setsuna has started working as the school nurse at Jyuban High. On that first day of school we also learn that Mamoru is about to leave to study abroad in America, Usagi telling Minako so in a letter they write to each other during their lessons. So Usagi accompanies Mamoru to the airport to see him off – but Mamoru never even sets one foot on his plane, as Galaxia robs him of his starseed right in front of Usagi’s eyes.
Enter the Threelights. Usagi faints and falls to the ground upon seeing Mamoru being killed in front of her eyes – and Seiya is there to rescue her and pick her up. The three leave the airport with her (crazed fan-girls hot on their trail), but Usagi asks to get out of the taxi as soon she recovers, leaving Seiya to look after her thoughtfully. Waking up the next day, it seems she has forgotten all that happened the day before, as she tells Minako that Mamoru got on his plane safely and flew off to America.
Next we see Michiru and Haruka giving a concert, Michiru playing the violin and Haruka the piano, along with the Three Lights accompanying them. But Sailor Iron Mouse, the first of the Anima Mates we get to meet, decides to interrupt their concert. Sailor Neptune’s and Sailor Uranus’ attacks can do nothing to stop her – it takes the power of a new senshi to kill Iron Mouse: Sailor Star Healer. The Sailor Starlights make their first appearance, if only for a mere second before disappearing again, having remained only long enough to confuse the Sol Senshi.
+ Up you go
Act 44
Usagi is dreaming - unpleasant dreams of Mamoru literally melting away and disappearing in a bright light. Checking her letterbox later on, she is disappointed to find nothing in it (again), while Seiya watches her from afar. And who decides to make a Mary Poppins entrance mere seconds later? Chibi-Chibi, correct, who by accident in return stumbles upon Kakyuu-hime. Usagi is, to say the last, shocked to find she has a new “little sister” when she comes home from school. Her friends start to debate, who this small stranger could be; Usagi’s second daughter or even Chibi-Usa’s daughter? Later on, Chibi-Chibi comes to sleep in Usagi’s bed, bringing an incense burner with her, making Usagi wonder where she’s smelled that scent before. The next morning she finally finds something in her letterbox – a postcard of a sunset, with nothing written on it though.
There are exciting news when she comes to school – the famous Threelights have started attending their school as well, leaving Minako more than over-excited. During break-time the famous trio goes up to the school’s roof to find some peace and quiet from the swarming fan-girls; but someone is already up there: Usagi, who is writing a love letter. Seiya asks her where the person that gave her her ring is; but when she answers America, Usagi falls to her knees, white-hot pain surging through her head. Haruka, concerned for her Princess, angrily pushes the Threelights away.
Those later leave no time to show their talents at school. Taiki manages to beat Ami, Seiya draws all the attention away from Haruka's athletic abilities with her own and Yaten, well, she criticizes Michiru’s color of lipstick, making her snap said lipstick in two. ^_^ So I guess we can say, that a few people are slightly aggravated because of the Threelights, while Minako, Makoto and also Usagi can’t stop swooning over them. Later on, the girls go to visit another Three Lights concert. While Seiya sings, Usagi feels strangely connected to him.
The next morning another postcard for Usagi has been delivered – this time showing a starry sky, but once again with no message written on it. After school Usagi is up on the roof of the school once more, comparing her postcard with the sky she sees. Seiya appears as well, answering her question of which one the bright star in the middle of the postcard is (it’s a man-made satellite).
Usagi: Do you like stars?
Seiya: Yes, I do.
Usagi: Did you escape here from all your fans again? It must be tough, being mobbed even at school. I wouldn't think idols would have time to go to school. They'd be so busy.
Seiya: Anything, as long as we can sing.
( ... )
Usagi: I- I ... I really like your Three Lights debut single. It's so moving... The song is pretty, and I still feel it in my heart.
Seiya: Your saying that makes me very happy. We wanted to sing this song, so we became singers.
And so Seiya sings, and it touches Usagi deeply. Haruka, Ami, Makoto, Yaten and Taiki hear it as well far away – and all feel the power behind it, the power and shine of a star. Just like Sailor Aluminium Siren, who decides to attack. In the fight that ensues, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter are killed, Aluminium Siren having taken their starseeds away. Once again, the Sol Senshi cannot stop the enemy – not even Sailor Moon. Seiya, Yaten and Taiki, who have looked on in shock until now, transform into their respective counterparts, and their combined attacks kill Aluminium Siren. Enter the Starlights.
+ Up you go
Act 45
The Sol Senshi are in shock after seeing Mercury and Jupiter being killed – and do not trust the Star Lights at all. The three explain to them that Galaxia and Shadow Galactica are behind the killings of Mercury and Jupiter and that the golden Senshi is their new enemy.
Usagi later goes to see Asanuma, a friend of Mamoru’s to ask if he knows the telephone number of an American friend of Mamoru’s – but he too hasn’t heard a thing from him. It’s later, on the roof of the school that Seiya forces Usagi to remember what she witnessed at the airport. Haruka and Michiru attempt to stop her, but Taiki shows them what has happened to Mamoru as well. Usagi’s in shock, saying that she doesn’t want to remember what happened. Seiya holds her close and kisses her on the forehead, while she whispers to Usagi, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.” Usagi then runs away crying, while Taiki and Yaten ask Seiya why she cares about that girl.
Seiya: I and she, we are familiar.
Usagi (still running and now thinking): Seiya …
The following day, Minako and Rei confront the Threelights on the roof of the school – they transform into Venus and Mars in front of their eyes, and demand that they too show them their Senshi natures. At the same time, Sailor Lead Crow attacks Phobos and Deimos at Rei’s temple, stealing their starseeds before Mars and Venus can safe them. Once again, their attacks can do nothing to harm Lead Crow. It’s only when Sailor Moon appears that Lead Crow is defeated. But before the girls can reach each other Galaxia appears and kills Venus and Mars in front of Moon’s eyes. She then witnesses flashbacks of Mamoru’s, Jupiter’s and Mercury’s deaths and promptly faints.
The story then proceeds to make a small jump into the future to Crystal Tokyo, where Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion are celebrating Chibi-Usa’s return to the future. Chibi-Usa later overhears Pluto telling Serenity that horrible things are happening in the past and that time and space are starting to change. They stop talking when they notice Chibi-Usa, but the damage has already been done, as she now begs to be allowed to go back to the past. Serenity won’t hear of it though, making Chibi-Usa only the more worried.
Back in “present” Tokyo, Usagi is still unconscious. Meanwhile Haruka is saying to Michiru and Setsuna that they need to return to their castles and put up a shield inside the solar system. Michiru and Setsuna argue that that could be dangerous and that their strength might not even be enough for a shield. They decide that must go after all, saying that they will borrow the Sailor Guardian’s powers and ally with the Starlights (no, Haruka doesn’t despise Seiya and the Lights nearwhere as much as in the anime!). They leave and tell the cats to take care of Hotaru and their Princess.
The Lights come to Usagi’s house to tell her what more there is to know of Galaxia. They explain to Usagi that Galaxia is not only destroying planets and people in the solar system; they tell her that their planet too was destroyed. Usagi asks them if Mamoru and her friends really are dead, to which Yaten replies that their human shells are indeed gone.
Usagi: Dead? They’re dead?
Yaten: Only their flesh is destroyed, Sailor Moon. All that is a sailor soldier is inside the sailor crystals. The crystals of unknown power, the sailor crystals, the sailor crystals, won’t disappear! And so, Galaxia is only coming after the sailor crystals!
Usagi is very shocked at what Yaten tells her, and Luna tells them that it is enough and that should be going home. As they leave, Seiya tosses Usagi a card with a picture of the galaxy, saying, “”Galaxia is in there”. Usagi then realizes that the postcards she has been getting all along were from Seiya and not Mamoru. Outside, the Lights stare at Usagi’s house, asking Seiya is he is certain. Seiya says that there was a faint remnant of fragrant olives and that incense burner, and that he is indeed certain.
The following day in school a new student is introduced to the class: Suzu Nyanko. The new girl tries to befriend Usagi immediately, saying her that her hair is cute, but also telling her that she should stay away from girls that act like boys.
Having arrived in their respective palaces, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune call upon their Guardians and are about to prepare the shield. But they never get this far, as suddenly Galaxia appears behind Pluto …
On Earth, Hotaru gets up from playing with Chibi-Chibi and the cats and suddenly vanishes. Panicked, the cats run to Usagi’s school where Suzu is asking Usagi if she can come along to her place later on. Luna and Artemis yell no, and demand that Suzu show them her real face.
Chibi-Chibi – presumably at home – is suddenly awakened from her slumber beside the incense burner by the Threelights. They tell her to give them the incense burner, but Chibi-Chibi stands in their way and yells no. Suddenly a voice comes from the incense burner, telling Chibi-Chibi that it’s alright as they are her special friends. And without further ado, Princess Kakyuu finally appears in front of the Lights.
+ Up you go
Sailor Moon Volume 17
