Uranus ♅ Troposphere ♅ Stratosphere
Thermosphere ♅ Exosphere ♅ Outer Space


125 "A Bright Shooting Star! Saturn, and the Messiah"

In this episode Uranus and Neptune finally reach Mistress Nine who has been doing her best to deceive Sailor Moon. Believing Hotaru died due to Mistress Nine, they have no qualms of attacking her. Sailor Moon takes their attacks because she still believes Hotaru is in there somewhere. Due to this, both are taken off guard and Mistress Nine launches a sneak attack from behind by her long tendrils of hair.

Using the both of them as hostages, Mistress Nine threatens to kill them if Moon doesn’t hand over the Grail. Both Uranus and Neptune would rather die than see a Death Buster lay hands on the Holy Chalice.

While being chocked, Neptune tells Moon she’ll detest her. They demand her to stop. Sailor Moon will not listen to their pleas though. Uranus even sheds tears of frustration, pain and anger over what Moon does.

When the now free Souichi Tomoe arrives, Hotaru’s presence still glimmers much to Mistress Nine’s surprise. Uranus and Neptune see it as a trick, but Moon still believes in Hotaru. She ignores their desperate cries. While Hotaru might have appeared briefly, when words about needing the Grail arrive, it is obviously a trick and Moon falls for it when Hotaru resurfaces briefly due to her father’s voice. To Uranus and Neptune’s distress Moon hands over the Grail.

Uranus asks in a small desperate voice, "Why, Sailor Moon?!" Neptune shows more anguish, "You’re not the Messiah or anything… You have no right to do with the Grail as you please!"

Pretty much, Sailor Moon tortures Uranus and Neptune more than Mistress Nine ever did, in all irony. They have to watch her hand over the Grail while they are trapped, helpless to stop it. When this happens they weep and shudder.

Mistress Nine says that the Grail is "an ultra pure crystal among all pure hearts". I find that interesting since it was formed from Uranus, Neptune and Pluto’s talismans. To win against it, they would have to find a heart purer than it. Mistress Nine then uses the Grail to guide Pharaoh Ninety to earth, destroying it in the process to make it simply pure energy. Uranus finds her voice of anguish and speaks, "Look! This is the result of your methods full of idealism!"

Later on, Hotaru reawakens and upon remembering her father and Chibiusa she fully awakens as Sailor Saturn. In that process her body is destroyed killing off Mistress Nine. Uranus and Neptune cannot feel any relief from that, because now they know the world will not simply be put to ruin by silence but will end all together.

Still trapped, they watched as Pharaoh Ninety gains power and know they have no way to stop it. The entire building then collapses from all the negative energy running through it. Interestingly enough they all manage to survive the fall. Free from their bonds, Uranus and Neptune no longer have the chance of preventing anything.

"In the end… everything we did goes to waste…?" Uranus asks in despair. "This is the end…" Neptune sniffles. "Are you satisfied with this, Sailor Moon!?" Uranus cries out softly and then yells in despair, "Answer me!" Uranus falls to her knees and a sob escapes her.

As said, Sailor Moon really tortured them over anything else. (And what is worse than torture from the ignorant?)

Sailor Saturn then shows up, which of course is of no comfort to Uranus and Neptune. Sailor Moon hopes she is Hotaru, but Saturn concedes that she is no longer Hotaru. True to her role as an Outer Solar System Soldier, Saturn intends to fulfill her duty. She tells Moon that the only way to save the world from silence is now her. As usual Sailor Moon wishes to go with her. Being who she is, Saturn refuses like any other Outer Solar System Soldier.

She admits, if Sailor Moon had the ability to transform into Super Sailor Moon, she probably could take on Pharaoh Ninety. She gave up the Grail though. When Moon finds out that Saturn’s power will not only destroy Pharaoh Ninety, but herself as well, Moon of course tries to stop her. Saturn positions her Glaive at Sailor Moon to keep her from coming any closer and then she disappears to defeat Pharaoh Ninety alone in true style of a soldier of the Outer Solar System Soldiers' group.

That is why Pluto wasn't convinced by the argument of Saturn being a Sailor Soldier like the rest of them! Saturn was like the other three Outer Solar System Soldiers! They were not the same as the Guardian Deity Soldiers! You never think of that sort of stuff, do you Sailor Moon and company!?

Sailor Moon still tries to follow however and when that doesn’t work she calls on her Crisis Make Up, but doesn’t have the Grail. She continues on desperately. Seeing her so desperate makes me actually kind of happy when I watch this episode. Sorry, but her idealism can really hurt others - and really, in real life, we would have all been dead due to her methods of idealism. In that moment, she got a taste of exactly what she did to Uranus and Neptune:

"Sorry, I don't believe in your methods of saving the world, even if your way is the most realistic, logical and best tactic to ensure the world doesn't end. I also will do everything to prevent you from trying to save the world, because my way is better. Sure, I have absolutely no proof that we can save the world without sacrafices while your plan will save the world if done, but I believe in my amazingly good luck! Who cares if time is running out? I'm sure at the very last second a miracle will occur, because everything has to go my way since I am always right."

Well the tables have turned Sailor Moon! Sailor Saturn doesn't think like you and your team. She thinks like a Soldier of the Outer Solar System!

"Sorry, I don't believe in your methods of saving the world, even if your way is the most idealistic, 'miracle from the gods' result. I also will do everything to prevent you from trying to interfere, because I have awoken and thus destiny is saying it is time to end all of this. Sure, I have to kill everyone including myself, but that is because if I don't this entire Solar System will be enslaved by a deep Silence and earth as we know it will be thrust into hell. Time is running out, none of you were able to prevent this from happening and I have sworn to do my duty no matter what."

That is utter despair, Usagi: Doing everything in your power to save the world, then be rendered helpless due to idealistic methods that didn't ring true. You beg and plead, but she doesn't believe in your way of handling things. Instead you have to watch as she thwarts all your efforts as well as hurry the dismal, hellish ending along... and you can't do anything to stop it.

Sailor Moon put Sailor Uranus and Neptune through all of that. This is "Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" though, so it is always Sailor Moon's lucky day...

Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus seem to hear her cries or simply know… they lend her their power… perhaps it is because there are letting their hearts go out to her. (I figure that, since Uranus and Neptune’s tiara gems begin to glow like the others. I guess they were moved.) In any case, all six of them lend her their powers and Sailor Moon manages to become Super Sailor Moon again. (Yes, yes, Usagi. You always get your way and you are always right because you are the main character – but really, in real life, we'd be dead.)

The phrasing of "letting their hearts go out to her" pretty much can be figurative and literal. With the power of their individual heart crystals with hers seem to have created a pure heart that surpasses that of the Holy Grail. It takes a while, but Moon gets past the barrier. Pharaoh Ninety is destroyed about fifteen seconds later.

When it is all over, Uranus and Neptune hear Pluto’s last words again: "If you are able to meet the real Messiah…" Uranus pauses and looks up thoughtfully, "The real… Messiah…?!" She blinks and a look of realization crosses her face. Neptune’s soon holds the same expression.

Again, I think Pluto did know Sailor Moon was the Messiah. Nevertheless, the whole Messiah thing truly was a gamble. Why? Because Pluto saw she hadn't truly reached the level of Super Sailor Moon yet. Even after using the Grail at times, Sailor Moon still wasn't strong enough throughout the S series until the very end.

Why didn't Pluto just tell them? They could have then spent time trying to make Sailor Moon strong enough. She can't interfere with Time. She can only guard it. How things flow is all up to others. She knows the future is not set in stone. She could only hope the best outcome did occur. The best outcome did:

From the heavens a trail of rainbow butterflies reaches the ground and Super Sailor Moon appears with a bundle in her arms. The world has been saved.