Usagi's Awakening: A Message from the Distant Past

Template:Infobox anime"Usagi's Awakening! A Message From the Distant Past" is the 44th episode of season one of Sailor Moon, and the 44th of the overall series. It first aired on February 13, 1993.

Overview

A blast of energy sends the Senshi to the ruined Moon Kingdom, where they meet a hologram of Queen Serenity and learn about their past. Luna and Artemis manage find the entrance to the Dark Kingdom and Kunzite attacks.

Summary

In the middle of the night, Luna is frantically running home. She finds Usagi in the middle of another Tuxedo Mask nightmare (which ends with a "I love you, Tuxedo Mask!" ). Luna wakes up Usagi with the news that Minako and Artemis have found the entrance to the Dark Kingdom

Beneath the Game Center Crown, a tunnel is opened up. Luna and Artemis lead the way while the Sailor Senshi cautiously followed. They continue to move down the long tunnel until a glob of energy forms in front of them. Kunzite appears to block their way. Kunzite says that they cannot proceed to the Dark Kingdom. He also demands the Silver Crystal from Sailor Moon again. Sailor Jupiter wasn't going to stand for this and she attacks with Supreme Thunder. Kunzite dodged the lightning attack and blasted the Senshi. The attack knocked all of the Senshi off their feet and in panic, Sailor Moon saw that she had lost hold of the Moon Stick, and it was flying at Kunzite. Kunzite grabbed at the Moon Stick and missed as well, but when he touched it, the Silver Crystal erupted in energy. When the glare faded, the Sailor Senshi and the Moon Stick were gone. Falling through a vortex, the Sailor Senshi fall screaming to their destination.

Sailor Moon is the first to wake up. She finds herself among ruins. She notices a glowing sphere coming down in front of her. The sphere forms into the miniature figure of a woman who introduces herself as the spirit of Queen Serenity. Gaping, the other Senshi can only watch as Queen Serenity tells and shows her story to the Princess.

The ruins are all that's left of the Silver Millennium]]. Once, it was a beautiful place where a peaceful people lived. One night, there was a celebration for the Moon Princess. Princess Serenity is standing on the balcony when she notices Prince Endymion. He warns her that a great invasion force is coming...led by the sorceress Beryl and the evil Metalia. Endymion has to leave before he can say more when he's spotted by guards because Earth people are forbidden on the palace grounds.

Luna and Artemis have reached the end of the tunnel to find snow and storms. Princess Serenity has come down to rejoin the ball. Her hand is taken by a masked stranger in a tuxedo. He asks her to dance. The couple is the center of attention as they regally move around the dance floor.

Plodding through the snow, Luna and Artemis wonder if they're going in the right direction.

Invading hordes of soldiers have come from Earth, driven and lead by the presence of Queen Metalia. The commanding general is Beryl and the armies are lead by four men. Luna and Artemis sound the alarm, and the four Sailor Senshi attack with all of their power. This has no effect on Metalia and with her attack, she kills the Sailor Senshi.

Beryl wants Endymion for herself, and she sees the Moon Princess as an unwanted rival. With a wave of her wand, she breaks the two apart and Metalia takes Endymion away. The Princess leaps forward and gets caught in the same windstorm. Metalia kills Princess Serenity, and Beryl gloats in the death of her rival.

Luna and Artemis have found the entrance to the Dark Kingdom. They turn back to report when Kunzite appears before them.

Queen Serenity has witnessed the death of her daughter and of her kingdom with horror. Against the advice of Luna and Artemis, she pulls out the Silver Crystal and installs it in the Moon Stick. With all her strength, she calls out Moon Healing Escalation, and the invading hordes are destroyed. With her final strength, the Silver Crystal is sent to Earth along with the spirits of Princess Serenity, the Sailor Senshi, and everyone else. Luna and Artemis are put into cold sleep and sent also. Only the body of Queen Serenity remains in the Moon Kingdom.

The Moon Stick reappears in the tunnel and with a flash, the Sailor Senshi appear. Their roles are now defined Sailor Moon is the Princess and the other Sailor Senshi are her protectors. There is a scream for help in the tunnel.

Artemis is vainly trying to protect Luna when the Sailor Senshi come up. Kunzite can't believe his eyes he thought that the Senshi were destroyed. He recovers and forms two energy knives which he throws at Sailor Moon. Sailor Moon tries to block, but the knives slice her. Reacting quickly, the Sailor Senshi invoke their powers and form a barrier to protect Sailor Moon. They can't hold against the knives which come again and again.

Sailor Moon looks at Kunzite with new determination in her eyes. She calls out Moon Healing, Escalation and the power of the Silver Crystal falls on Kunzite. He resists against the power of Sailor Moon, power so strong that she sparkles with it. He sends an energy knife at her. She hits it away with the Moon Stick and it hits him instead. With a call to Zoisite, saying that he's coming, Kunzite dies.

Trivia

• This is the first episode with Kae Araki as the voice of Usagi/Sailor Moon. She will continue in this role until episode 50 of Sailor Moon R.

• This episode marks the final appearance of Kunzite, Jedeite, Zoisite and Nephrite.