From: phoenix@mediaone.net   
      
   Act 43 - Usagi and Mamoru's Promise   
      
   Although they have not yet destroyed the powerful youma from the   
   previous few acts, new youma continue to appear. This time it is   
   Mercury taking on a water-based youma on her own with a brand new   
   attack, Mercury Aqua Cyclone. However, even with Sailor Moon showing   
   up to help, the youma still escapes by diving into a fountain.   
      
   At the secret base, the girls discuss the growing number of youma and   
   in particular, this recent powerful one that seems to have a special   
   link to Metalia.   
      
   Usagi is starting to deeply resent Beryl's treatment of Mamoru and it   
   is making her angry. As she falls asleep that evening, she once again   
   changes into PSM. Luna finds her on a rooftop playing her harp and   
   manages to wake Usagi who transforms back into her normal self.   
      
   This worries Beryl who is concerned that if this continues, Usagi as   
   PSM will increase Metalia's power to the point where the world will be   
   destroyed before she can ever rule over it.   
      
   Luna T. tells the girls that even if Usagi can control her power   
   during the day, she is helpless against it during her sleep. Makoto   
   says that protecting the princess is their mission. However, this   
   upsets Rei who says that protecting Usagi has nothing to do with her   
   being a princess or their mission. It appears that, like in the anime,   
   Rei has developed a special protective feeling for Usagi.   
      
   Usagi continues to rage at Beryl which causes her to continue to   
   change into PSM, which causes Metalia to grow enormously in power.   
      
   Beryl, via Mio, agrees to Mamoru's offer to stop PSM's unchecked power   
   if she will suppress the power of the life-draining stone. She says   
   she will do so for one day only and it will be the last time he can   
   see Usagi. Beryl says that if he does this and returns to her, she   
   will remove the stone.   
      
   Mamoru finds the Princess sitting on top of an outdoor staircase (That   
   Princess can certainly find the most artful locations to play her   
   harp). He calls Usagi's name and she transforms back. Mio is with him   
   and tells Usagi that she has brought Mamoru back to her. However,   
   Usagi is not fooled. She knows that Mio is evil.   
      
   Mamoru takes Usagi to their special place on the beach, the seawall   
   where they sat and shared a meat bun during Kunzite's awakening   
   episode.   
      
   While Mamoru and Usagi are sharing this last moment together, the   
   girls have engaged the powerful youma from before and are attempting   
   to dispatch it. Despite their wonderful verbal challenge, the powerful   
   youma walks off in disdain as other youma minions show up to continue   
   the battle. Much to Rei's distress, Venus joins the attack in her   
   weakened condition. NTL, Venus takes command and directs the senshi in   
   their fight. Jupiter uses some new multi-targeted attack and it   
   appears that Sailor Luna does not engage in ballet-fu at all, but   
   rather depends on that harisen weapon of hers. Venus starts to faint   
   at one point, but recovers and directs a simultaneous attack that   
   destroys the youma minions (the powerful youma is still at large   
   however).   
      
   Back with the timeless couple, Usagi tells Mamoru that she is working   
   to suppress her powers, but Mamoru points out she was still just now   
   the Princess. In the middle of their discussion, the water youma from   
   earlier appears from the sea. Both Usagi and Mamoru transform and give   
   battle. At one point, the youma captures SM and Endymion throws his   
   sword to drive it back (Did that youma actually -QUACK- when it was   
   hit?) SM grabs Endymion's sword and rages at the youma once again   
   increasing the power of Metalia. Endymion rushes to calm her and with   
   his help, she suppresses the power once again. She then uses MTF to   
   dispatch the youma.   
      
   As the sun sets, signaling that Mamoru's last day with Usagi is   
   nearing its end, he embraces her and tells her that it is not the   
   Princess, but her own feelings of hatred and rage that are increasing   
   the Crystal's power. He tells her to not let Beryl drive her back to   
   the person of her past, that no matter what, she must always smile and   
   be the baka that he knows and loves. As she agrees to stay his baka,   
   Usagi realizes that Mamoru will not be able to remain with her. Never   
   the less, he assures her that his feelings will never be separated   
   from her and that his heart will always be with her.   
      
   In the light of the setting sun, they share a poignant tiptoe kiss.   
      
   As Beryl rages at Endymion's 'betrayal' and Zoisite observes to   
   Kunzite that their master has thrown his life away for the second time   
   for the love of his princess, Usagi and Mamoru cavort and play in the   
   surf late into the night.   
      
   Later, as they sit on the beach together, gazing lovingly at each   
   other, Mamoru slowly vanishes from sight. True to his bidding, Usagi   
   continues to smile through her grief.   
      
   Back with the rest of the team, Rei makes an attempt to get Minako to   
   step down to protect her health. She challenges Venus' role as leader,   
   saying that Venus has not yet awakened her senshi power. This one   
   puzzles me. I thought certain that Venus had awoken in Act Zero, way   
   before any of the others.   
      
   --   
   Phoenix   
   www.phoenixanime.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)