episode 116: wake up call A very ominous night. The air hangs low at Mugen as thousands of its students flock to the building. A haunting voice - "All students, gather here! Come to me!" The voice comes from a blue haired woman, smiling gleefully... bubbles float by as Rini takes a bath. She sighs, thinking of Hotaru. Serena, with a towel around her, comes up to her. "Don't worry about Hotaru. I'm sure she'll be FINE>>>!" She falls into the bath, splashing Rini! "It's YOUR turn!" Rini dunks Serena as well...outside, Serena wishes Rini a good night, but she stops her. "Serena, I'm still worried about Hotaru, but I'll be cheerful about it. Thank you!" "Rini..." Serena trails off. The cats confront her...Serena, clothed of course, runs outside towards Mugen. Overlay of Luna - "All Mugen's students are clamoring to Mugen School. Something's up!" The running soldier can only think to herself, "Rini, I can't bring you this time, but I swear that I'll save Hotaru!"... meanwhile, Hotaru as Sovereign begins to pant, clutching her chest. "I need...my friend Rini..." she says in Hotaru's voice. The blue-haired woman and Dr. Tomoe watch this. "She needs more pure hearts, she's getting weaker," Tomoe explains. The woman says, "I'll do my best for you and help awaken her, sir!" "You're my best and last member, Cyprine." Cyprine, the last of the Witches 5, swears to him, "I'll do a MUCH better job than Kaori Night!" Of course, a VERY angry Kaori watches on. Cyprine sees her, and Kaori ducks into a corner. "I must get the purest heart avaliable!" She thinks to herself. "I know! That girl who cares so much for Hotaru...I'll get Rini's pure heart!"...that night, Rini has a horrible nightmare. In a red limbo, Rini stands alone, when she sees a hanging Hotaru - "RINI, HELP ME!" Hand reach out to her, cover her mouth, and drag her away...Rini wakes up from the dream, scared for her and Hotaru's lives... the students continue to file into Mugen. Among the thousands we see five familiar faces..."Come! Donate your pure hearts to the creators of this school!" shouts Cyprine. And just like that, all the students' pure hearts come out of them and enter a huge statue (ironically of an angelic figure)! "We don't need intrusion," she laughs, and Serena, Amy, Raye, Lita and Mina are suddenly trapped in a huge red energy bubble! They float up and disappear...Amara and Michelle watch on. "Upstairs?" "Yes." Cyprine mutters to herself, "I need to take care of the Scouts now."...in that room, Cyprine confronts the girls. "I'm the lat and greatest of the Witches 5, Cyprine!" The girls know what they have to do - "VENUS STAR POWER!" "MERCURY STAR POWER!" "JUPITER STAR POWER!" "MARS STAR POWER!" "MOON COSMIC POWER!" And in a rather legnthy transformation, the 5 Scouts have arrived! Cyprine just laughs. "MARS CELESTIAL FIRE SURROUND!" The blast breaks the glass of the windows... but Cyprine is unharmed! "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE! Give it up!" Venus cries, lassoing Cyprine. But again, Cyprine just laughs...as does another! For Cyprine is palm to palm with another witch, identical but for red hair! "Cyprine," the one in blue introduces. The one in red, "Peirol!" The last of the Wtiches 5 are actually 2 - two witches that share "the same mind and body"! Jupiter says, "One or two, makes no difference! SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" But holding their two staffs together, Cyprine and Peirol just deflect the attack right back at Jupiter, and she's down! The twins just laugh at the patheticy of the Sailor Soldiers... Rini stands in front of Hotaru's, determined. "I'll save you! MOON PRISM POWER!" Sailor Mini Moon stands at the door - but Kaori has watched through the window! "So, the little one is actually a Sailor Scout! This is interesting." The doors of the house ominously open. Scared but brave, Mini Moon walks in, and sees a figure standing in the shadows. "Ho...Hotaru?" But it isn't Rini's friend, but Kaori Night! Suddenly, a rose breaks through, and Tuxedo Mask has appeared! Kaori just laughs, "Take this blast!" And Mini Moon is thrown through the window onto the grass outside! "PLUTO DEADLY SCREAM!" Pluto tries to use her attack, but Kaori just forms a red mist...and above Mask and Pluto hovers Kaori Night, holding Sailor Mini Moon in her arms! Disappearing into a black vortex, she laughs, "I got the purest heart!"... Back at Mugen, Mercury tries her hand at the witches. "SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" But the attack is just absorbed by the twins, and it hits Mercury full blast! "They're too strong together!" Venus cries. "Guess we'll have to give it our all..." starts Jupiter. Mars finishes, "With our teamwork!" All five fly in the air, prepping for a final attack. "MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!" The mist covers the room, though the witches laugh at them. "VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" "MARS FIREBALLS CHARGE!" "MOON TIARA ACTION!" But the two just absorb these combined attack. Cyprine laughs, "This is just a waste of time!" When suddenly, out of the mist, Jupiter grabs Cyprine and knocks her down! Cyprine runs after her, to Peirol's objections...when Mars hits Peirol with her fist! She chases after Mars now. Mars tries to avoid the arial attack...while on the ground, Jupiter outruns the ground assault of Cyprine. The mist still hasen't cleared, and both Witches start shooting at their targets... but Jupiter and Mars have jumped out of the way - leaving the witches to shoot themselves! "CYPRINE!" "PEIROL!" But it is too late for them...their attacks have blasted themselves, and have been killed! Inside, the statue breaks, the thousands of pure hearts floating in air... the mist clears, but a strange hallway appears before the girls! "This is like a dark vortex, this hallway leading to some other place," notes mercury. They decide to go in...meanwhile, already in the hallway, Uranus and Neptune have reached Dr. Tomoe. Tomoe is standing over what looks like a huge altar, a figure lying lifeless on it. "Just in time, Sailor Scouts! You're just in time for the show." A light shines on the figure - Sailor Mini Moon! "No, RINI!" Uranus runs up to the room, but a wall of energy blocks her! The other five arrive, only to see Rini as the main sacrifice! "Kaori Night." Kaori appears at the Doctor's command. "Yes. Rini's pure heart is just enough to begin the awakening process." On her throne, the Sovereign of Silence croaks, "I need this pure heart..." "NO, RINI!!!!" Moon runs up to the force field, but she too is stopped! "MINI MOON!" A supernatural purple hand extends from Hotaru's body... the grimsly hand reaches Mini Moon - and closes itself over her heart! Mini Moon's pure heart is being sucked right out of her! Barely conscious, she looks up at the graven Sovereign. "Oh, it's Hotaru...I'm so glad to see you..." But it's too late. The pure heart has been taken, and Mini Moon falls unconscious, turning back into Rini. The pure heart floats towards the Sovereign, who opens her mouth, ready to accept this great power... "Dr. Tomoe! How can you put your daughter through this? Don't you love her?" Moon pleads. A pause. Tomoe looks up at them all. "Love...I've never heard of that." They are all stricken as Uranus cries, "If Sailor Saturn is allowed to awaken, it means the end of the world!" And lo and behold, the Sovereign swallows the pure heart crystal... in a purple glow, she becomes, taller, older, more beautiful, with black hair that sweeps the ground, and a black star on her forehead. "I am Mistress 9, the Sovereign of Silence." Uranus looks up at the mysterious Sovereign, and cries, "That's not Saturn! What's happening?" Mercury realizes, "She's been turned into a heart snatcher!"... "Kaori Night, I'll have to reward you for your work," comments Dr. Tomoe. "Oh, your words are enough, It's been a pleasure -" But at that instant, a lightning bolt, sent from Mistress 9, thrusts Kaori against the forefield! With a last glance at Tomoe, she closes her eyes...a horrible purple glow takes away all the heart snatchers, leaving the room to disintigrate into itself. The five girls run out as that purple energy dissapates throughout the exploding building! Uranus and neptune stand on a pillar, Pluto opt to follow them... at Darien's, he holds Rini, and a yellow glow flows to her hand. "You linked your life force to her, that's all we can do," says Artemis regrettably. Inside, Trista suddenly walks in. "I'm out to get the Sovereign, Mistress 9." "Don't you KNOW?" shouts Lita. Raye adds, "Mistress 9 is HOTARU!" "We can't save Rini's life without destroying the Sovereign, that's all." She walks out. Serena whimpers, "What are we fighting for? I want to save Rini, and Hotaru, for Rini's sake...the morning sun rises, and the five soldiers walk towards Mugen. "Fight," Darien says. "For what we believe in, we must fight."... so Hotaru has become the impossible, the Sovereign Mistress 9! And it looks like the final showdown is upon the girls! How powerful is Mistress 9?...