Usagi's mother, Ikuko-mama, is reading the morning paper. The newspaper is filled with stories about the deeds of Sailor V. Aloud, Ikuko wonders why her daughter can't be more like Sailor V. Thinking of Usagi makes her glance at the clock: it's 8 o'clock, and Usagi is going to be late for school again.
After complaining that her mother should wake her earlier, Usagi runs from the house. She narrates as she runs: "I'm Tsukino Usagi. I'm fourteen and in the eighth grade. I'm a bit of a crybaby. Even I think so."
She trips over something, landing flat on her face. It turns out to be a black kitty with two Band-Aids on its forehead. Ever the cute girl, Usagi scoops it up and kisses the cat on the nose; the cat scratches her face. Then, Usagi notices the Band-Aids and pulls them off. Wriggling free, the cat stares at her, a crescent moon where the Band-Aids had been. Usagi stares back... and realizes she's late for school. With a scream, she runs to Juuban Junior High School.
The scene shifts to inside the school. Usagi's teacher is busy yelling at her. Apparently, being late is a habit of Usagi's. As punishment, Usagi must stand outside the classroom. Since she ran out of the house without breakfast, she figures now is as good a time as any to start on her lunch. Unfortunately, her teacher chooses that moment to check up on her. Usagi narrates as she's screamed at: "This is my teacher, Sakurada Haruna-sensei."
Haruna-sensei holds up Usagi's last English test: a 30%. Woefully, Usagi explains that she doesn't like English. To add to her misery, her friend Naru got an 85% and the class nerd Umino got a 95%.
Jump to after school. A group of eighth grade girls (including Naru and Usagi) are having a snack and discussing a recent string of jewelry heists. Umino joins them and mentions that Sailor V captured the criminals. When the girls don't know who Sailor V is, Umino gets fanatic and explains. The girls are more interested in the jewelry. Naru mentions that her mother's jewelry store is having a big sale. Excited, the girls rush to the store.
Naru's mother owns the Osa-P jewelry store. She greets the girls and offers them a bonus discount since they're Naru's friends. Naru and Usagi are a little perplexed: Naru's mother has never had a sale before, nor has she ever acted this "intense." In an aside [dialogue only the reader is aware of], Naru's mother laughs and says she needs more energy.
Usagi leaves the store, sighing that her test was so bad, no one would buy her anything. She crumples up the English test and tosses it over her shoulder.... directly in the face of a young man in a tuxedo. "That hurt, you lumphead," he complains as he unfolds the paper.
"These are not lumps!" Usagi yells. "They're called odango! Odango!"
The man gasps at her horrible grade. "Study harder, Odango Atama." [dumpling head] As Usagi fumes in anger, he walks away. Something about the man strikes Usagi as strange: he's wearing a tuxedo, yet it is only the afternoon.
The man stops in front of the Osa-P. To himself he wonders if this is where "it" is. "The Ginzuishou," he murmurs.
Not at all anxious to go home, Usagi stops off at the Crown Game Center to play the Sailor V video game. Soon, she's entirely absorbed in attempting to beat the mini-boss. A blonde young man comes up behind her: "Stopping off in your uniform again?"
Usagi introduces the man to us as "onii-san" [a big brother figure]. She says he's really sweet and she has her eye on him. While she's trying to beat the mini-boss with onii-san's help, the black cat from the morning makes itself known. Onii-san explains that the cat has been hanging around the game center for the past three days. "Ahaha! Look, look! It's got a crescent moon bald spot on its forehead!" shrieks Usagi. The cat continues to stare at her.
Finally ready to face the music, Usagi drags herself home. Ikuko-mama cheerful recounts that she ran into Umino, who happened to show her his test. Usagi is forced to reveal that she got a 30%. Ikuko-mama goes ballistic. "If you're going to bring home this kind of score, you had better not come home anymore!" Usagi is kicked out of the house, and then kicked in the butt by her little brother Shingo. Usagi retaliates with "Sailor V Kick!" but only manages to kick the door. She cries until Ikuko-mama gives up and lets her back inside.
It is night, and a masked man in a tuxedo stares at the Osa-P.
Naru's mother is alone in a room. She holds a strange glowing canister in her hands. "My special energy-draining jewels have paid off," she smirks. "But it looks like the one I'm after isn't here either." Naru has the misfortune to walk into the room. Her mother grins wickedly.
Usagi is back up in her room, too tired to study. Instead, she opts to take a nap. In her dreams, she's the Sailor V from the video game. By defeating the mini-boss, she saves onii-san and the black kitty. "That kitty with the crescent moon bald spot," she mumbles in her sleep.
She's awoken by something scratching her face. "It's not a bald spot. How rude," scolds the black cat. Usagi is dumbfounded. The cat continues talking.
"You helped me by taking off that bandage. I am Luna. I have been searching for you, Usagi-chan." Usagi is still speechless. Luna explains that the Band-Aid hindered her ability to talk, but Usagi had helped her out. Usagi is convinced she's dreaming and tries to go back to sleep. Exasperated, Luna gives Usagi a brooch to prove her story. All Usagi sees is a pretty piece of jewelry. Luna goes on about the strange events taking place in Tokyo until she sees that Usagi isn't listening.
"Usagi-chan, you are a chosen soldier!" says Luna. "Find our Princess. Find your allies and defeat the enemies!" She tells Usagi to shout "Moon." Uncertainly, Usagi complies.
"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"
Usagi transforms in a flash of light. She appears in a sailor fuku and a mask. Before she has a chance to become too alarmed, she hears a voice coming from one of the discs embedded in her odango. "Help me!" screams Naru. Usagi takes off her mask and sees Naru in the eye spaces. The girl is being strangled by her mother. In a panic, Usagi and Luna rush from the house.
Back at the Osa-P, Naru is being strangled. Her attacker reveals that she is not Naru's mother; at the moment, Naru's mother is tied up and locked in the basement. The woman turns into a youma as the masked man watches from the shadows.
The transformed Usagi bursts in through the door with Luna. Both the masked man and the youma are startled. "Who are you?" the youma demands. Usagi hesitates as Luna meows to the Moon.
"For love and justice, I am the sailor-suited pretty soldier, Sailor Moon!"
The youma declares she has never heard of Sailor Moon and orders her slaves to kill her. The girls and women who bought jewelry from the Osa-P earlier in the day have become zombies. They advance towards Sailor Moon, but she just manages to get away... by falling. She sees her scraped and bleeding knee. Finally convinced that this is not a dream, Sailor Moon's eyes well up with tears.
"Fight! Beat her!" screams Luna.
Sailor Moon loses it and starts bawling. Supersonic waves radiate from her discs as she cries. The windows shatter and the youma holds her ears in pain. "Don't cry!" says a voice. It's the masked man again. "If you're going to do it, do it now, Sailor Moon!"
Sailor Moon takes off her tiara and throws it like a discus. "Moon Frisbee!" The youma is destroyed. Sailor Moon turns around just in time to see the masked man leave.
"My name is Tuxedo Kamen," he says before he vanishes. Sailor Moon gets hearts in her eyes.
A blonde man looks into a crystal ball. "Sailor Moon..." he muses to himself. "Whatever it takes, soon I will have the Ginzuishou."
The next day at school, Naru tells her friends about the sailor-suited soldier who came to her aid. Luna sits on Usagi's shoulders. She smiles as Usagi finally gets it.