episode 98: people who need people A forest. In martial arts training clothes, Lita runs through, panting, and trips over a branch. Disgusted with herself, she wonders, "Why couldn't I beat that monster?"...*flashback* The Scouts are up against a monster that uses force as a weapon! "I'll take care of it," Jupiter says. "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" But she misses! Moon has to destroy it for her...*end of flashback* Lita stops running. "What am I needed for?..." "How is the research coming, Eudial?" asks Tomoe on the phone. "We've found a new crystal target," she replies. A picture of a young, bald man appears on the screen. "He is Kakusui Yakushiji, a man who has been in isolation for 4 years in order to be spiritually awakened. He must be pure." Eudial then wonders, "How will I know if the crystal is pure?" Tomoe replies, "The crystal will immediately turn into a powerful object - a mirror, a saber, and a crystal ball. The pictures appear - a mirror tinted green, a saber with gems on it, and an oddly familiar gem..."together, they will form the Purity Chalice!" In the metal container goes a Japanese doll of some sort... "...Hey, this is from Lita!" says Serena, looking at a postcard. "She's gone to a retreat to train! Hey...this is near a hotel where Darien works!" She grins happily at the thought...on the train, the four girls sit, Serena pigging out. "Eveyone, watch your hands and feet! Serena might get to them!" Raye laughs. Amy wonders, "How did you get Rini to stay home?" "Well," laughs Serena, "I AM her future mother, and she respects me." *flashback* Rini yells at Serena and hits her in the head. *end of flashback*..."Hey look, there's a hotel! It's near the retreat, let's stay there," Serena suggests. "Don't listen to her girls! It's a trick!" shouts Luna. Raye says angrily, "What did you do NOW?" Luna explains, "It seems that Darien works part-time there." "WHAT? You're supposed to be here supporting LITA!"...the girls, including Serena, walk up the hundred stairs to the mountain retreat. Panting, even Raye says, "Whose dumb idea was this anyway?"... but at the top, we see Lita, punching and kicking away at a tree! "You guys are here?" "Yeah," says Serena, "we came to support you and NOTHING ELSE!" The others look frazzled. "We're friends," they tell her, "you can tell us anything." Suddenly, a young man (who happens to be the target!) jumps over the girls and runs right past them! "He's amazing...he runs around the retreat 20 times a day!" "Oh, LITA..." Serena suggests. "It's nothing like that!" Lita blushes. "I need to get back to my training now!" She runs off... A waterfall. Kakusui is standing underneath one, praying. Lita tries to get in - "it's freezing!" Kakusui says nothing. Gingerly, she gets into the water and asks, "Can I join you?" Nothing. Lita goes under another waterfall and tries to pray - but she only lasts for a few seconds! "Kakusui, can you help me? I need to become srtonger somehow...if you helped me inprove my focus, I think I could improve my physical stregnth." Nothing still, but he moves out of the waterfall. "Please, do SOMETHING!" "I...can't...the water is...too cold!" Kakusui stammers. Then he sneezes and laughs! Lita just smiles. "You look better with a pretty smile. Kakusui goes on, "'There is no other path to make me feel alive. That is why I choose this path.' That's my motto. I live by it." Lita repeats this in awe. "Sometimes, you wonder, did I choose the wrong path? But there is no wrong path." "You second-guess yourself?" asks Lita in astonishment? "Yes, and sometimes triple-guess!"... meanwhile, on the ridge, Eudial in the station wagon looks down. "I've located the target," she comments. "Why did you start training?" Raye asks Lita. All of the girls are on mattresses on the floor. "Well, there's no specific reason..." Serena says, "Don't put problems on others." "You seem to do that a LOT, Serena!" Raye shouts, and Serena throws a pillow at her! Fuming, Raye throws pillows at Serena AND Mina! "I wasn't involved in your quarrel, but..." and she throws a pillow at AMY! Amy, pissed now, throws one at Lita, and we can now see the greatest ever 'Sailor Moon' pillow fight!...everyone is asleep - except Lita. In training clothes she stands outside, smiling. "My friends are so great, they came up here to help me!...But I think I need to do this on my own." Later that morning, the girls see Lita training. "It's like she's on a mission," Raye comments... inside, meager portions are given to the girls for breakfast. "You expect me to LIVE on this?" cries Serena. Amy and Luna point out that eating less makes you smarter and makes you lose weight. "But I don't care! I want nice food at the hotel." "That's not a bad idea!" Raye chimes in. "But we can't waste this food..." "I'll eat it anyway!" Serena cries out, and scarfs it down..."If we're at the hotel, we can go swimming!" says Mina, pulling out a black and white stiped strapless bathingsuit. "We brought ours too!" say Serena and Raye, Serena getting a floral one and Raye with a cutout red one. Luna sighs, "Amy, you're the only serious one here!" But Amy just blushes..."I brought mine too," pulling out a red and white suit. The cats just sigh... at the hotel, the four girls sit, Serena scarfing her food again, when she sees Darien. "Hey, DARIEN!" "Hi, guys...I can't talk now, I'm working!" Someone calls him off. Serena's upset...when 3 guys check them out..."HELLO, dollies!" "She has pretty eyes." "Go talk to her!" The girls are flirtatious, except for Amy, who's in shock. "Hey, the all-you-can-eat buffet just opened! Lets go!" All the guys run off, and the girls slump down in their chairs! "Is FOOD THE ONLY THING YOU THINK ABOUT?" Serena shouts at them... and sitting there are Amara and Michelle! Amara is in a blue and white striped suit, a man's shirt on as well, and Michelle is in a beautiful black suit. Serena runs over to them happily. "What are you guys doing here?" asks Amara. "We're here to support Lita," Serena says sheepishly. Raye starts to tease her, and Serena lunges for her - and falls into the pool! Amara and Michelle look up into the air. "I can smell the sea on the air, it's wet. Something's happening," says Michelle... back at the retreat, Kakusui meditates on a rock, Lita on a smaller one. The wind blows, and Lita opens her eyes, but Kakusui just meditates...when he starts snoring! "Is he ASLEEP?" The man rubs his eyes, wakes up, and laughs when Lita says, "Do you USUALLY sleep when meditating?" "It's important to relax the mind AND the body. Pathetic excuse, huh?" They laugh together...when suddenly, Eudial pulls up with the gun! Kakusui pushes Lita out of the way, and his heart crystal is extracted! Turning blue, he turns to Lita, "People need people. Don't be alone..." he faints... Lita flips into the bushes. "JUPITER STAR POWER!" Jupiter jumps in front of Kakusui, protecting his heart! But Eudial just brings out her latest daimon! The daimon shoots needles out at her, which she dodges, but then shoots a disc that knocks over Jupiter! "HOLD IT!" we hear the familiar cry...Sailor Moon and the girls have arrived! "Thanks...but I'll handle it," Jupiter says sternly. "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" but the daimon, using a gaint paintbrush, deflects the attack back at them, knocking them all down! Eudial picks up the crystal...when Uranus and Neptune snatch it and go into the trees! "No such luck, this isn't pure!" shouts Neptune, throwing it back. "Do you need any help?" asks Uranus. "no. I'm fine," Jupiter replies. The two jump off...and meanwhile, Eudial flees to her car and drives away. Using ultra-long paint bristles, the daimon wraps the 5 girls together and electrocutes them! But knowing they can't die in this battle, they begin to say to themselves, "We are a team." "We must fight together!" This touches Jupiter...the girls concentrate their energies - and their auras come out, breaking the bristles! About to win the day, Moon holds up her scepter... but the daimon knocks it away! Jupiter runs to attack the daimon, but then remembers kakusui's words - "Relax the mind and body." Closing her eyes, she focuses - "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!!!" An extra-strong blast of lightning hits the daimon - and it is completely destroyed! Jupiter smiles, tearing up, realizing that she ISN'T worthless after all... the train. Both Serena AND Lita scarf down their food. The train passes Kakusui, who smiles and waves at Lita. Lita smiles, "SEE YOU, KAKUSUI!...thank you..." so Lita's path was chosen for her! But who will be tested next? And who will get the heart crystals?...