Chibi-Moon detransforms as she runs through the streets of Juuban. She's crying as she remembers how Pegasus was looking for Princess Selenity. She's hurt that Pegasus called her "Maiden" even though he really wanted Usagi. Chibi-Usa thought that she could help Pegasus, but now she knows that he doesn't need any help from a girl who's still chibi. As she runs, the bell rings and Pegasus appears.
Usagi, Mamoru, and the girls run out in the rain searching for Chibi-Usa.
Chibi-Usa buries her face in her hands and cries even more. Pegasus nudges her face with his nose, and she opens her eyes. He transforms into Elios and kisses her lips. He tells her not to cry; she is the one who helped Sailor Moon use her power to its full potential. Elios says that he will visit her again in his human body some time. He disappears.
Usagi runs up from a distance and throws her arms around Chibi-Usa. She tells Chibi-Usa that she'll catch a cold standing out in the rain.
Elios floats in the dark until her lands inside the gilded cage and becomes Pegasus again. A woman approaches the cage. Her long dark hair trails on the floor and her face is hidden in the shadows. Only her eyes shine in the darkness. She teases him for thinking he could escape her curse for long. Soon, she will not only rule the darkness but the light as well. Pegasus looks at her through the golden bars. "You can enslave this land and this body," he tells her, "but you can't rule my spirit yet! You and your minions will be wiped out by the Prince and Princess!" The woman blasts him, sending Pegasus sprawling on the floor.
The woman walks to the mirror where she talks to Zirconia. She says that the Ginzuishou will be hers and she will own planet Earth. "However, Nehelenia-sama," says Zirconia hesitantly, "nobody but the true owner can handle the crystal..." Nehelenia says that she is the true queen of the Moon, so the Ginzuishou belongs to her.
At T*A Girls' School, Rei is in archery class with several other students. She pulls back her arrow and lets it fly. It strikes the target off-center. The archery teacher asks Rei if anything is wrong since she is normally a perfect shot.
After school, the girls are walking home. As they walk, Rei reads a book. Usagi chastizes her for looking just like Ami. Rei explains that her grandfather is sick and she has to run Hikawa Shrine by herself for a while. To prepare, she's reading about efficient management. Ami asks if she's going to hire someone to help her, but Rei doesn't want to spend the money. Minako comes up with what she thinks is an excellent solution to Rei's labor problem: get a son-in-law. Rei is appaled, but Minako explains how her idea makes sense: the husband will do all the work Rei doesn't want to for free. Then Rei can do whatever she wants to and can look at her husband as a servant. The servant part of this plan appeals to Rei.
While Rei and Minako discuss the pros to having a servant, Ami glowers at them and asks when are they going to act like serious students. Minako and Makoto counter that talking about boys is acting like high school students. Rei sticks her nose back into her book.
The three cats run up and apologize for being late. Luna informs them that they will all be attending the first performace of the Dead Moon Circus the following day to check for enemies.
At Hikawa Shrine, Rei comforts her sick grandfather. She goes outside to tend the shrine's shop. Two girls buy marriage charms from her. Rei is mystified--she doesn't understand why girls should be so anxious to get boyfriends. Rei's dream has no room for boyfriends; she's going to be the head priestess at the shrine. She picks up an arrow and throws it into the air for Phobos and Deimos. The crows grab the arrow and bring it back to her. Rei's grandfather watches and remembers the much younger Rei who first came to live with him. Back then, Rei had immediately picked out these two crows and named the Phobos and Deimos because "it sound[ed] good." Her grandfather feels that Rei is destined for better things than the shrine can offer.
The next day, the girls and Mamoru go to the circus. Chibi-Usa gets carried away and wants to enjoy herself since the area around the circus looks and feels like a festival. Usagi reminds her that they have a job to do. Chibi-Usa appeals to Mamoru to let her ride the go-karts and he agrees. Usagi follows right behind them. Rei is disappointed in everyone because they have forgotten their mission so easily. Even she feels like having fun. From behind her, Palla-Palla whispers that the circus can do that to you. Rei swings around, but no one is there. She sees the House of Mirrors and decides to have a look. After she enters, the doors slam shut. Phobos and Deimos are left circling outside.
Cere-Cere announces that the circus will be starting. Everyone runs in, though they notice that Rei and the cats are missing. The cats try to get in later, but Cere-Cere kicks them out: "No cats allowed!"
As she tends to the elephants, Ves-Ves wonders what to do with the humans now in the tent. Should she use them as bait for the lemures or should she turn them into slaves? She hypnotizes the audience. Mamoru gets dizzy and suggests that they go outside for a while. However, the doors to the circus tent have disappeared, trapping everyone inside.
In the House of Mirrors, Rei notices that the mirrors are not reflecting her image. She wonders how the circus accomplished this trick. "It's no secret or trick!" says a voice from a mirror. The image of a young Rei appears in the mirror. The younger Rei says that she understands that Rei has been unhappy since childhood because her mother died and her father was too busy with politics to care for her. Rei bangs on the glass, looking for a way to escape. She berates herself for lowering her guard.
The younger Rei starts to speak again, this time saying that Rei is being worked too hard by Usagi and the other girls. "It's a shame you have no choice but to hang out with them. They're so limiting!" Rei screams for her reflection to stop, but the girl keeps repeating "limiting".
A man wearing a white suit and a headband appears in the mirror. He walks over to the young Rei. "Listen to all I say," the young Rei warns. "You have to make friends. Yes, for example, I'm getting this wonderful guy." The man (Tiger-Eye) kisses the young Rei. Furious, Rei throws an ofuda at the mirror, causing it to shatter.
From the circus, Palla-Palla curses. She uses her Echo Ball to recreate the image of young Rei. This time, the reflection is dressed as a bride in the arms of Tiger-Eye. "Sometimes you kiss a man you don't like once or twice. But the final goal is to become the bride of a man with money. To spend all your life in comfort," the young Rei taunts. "Being the head priestess of a shrine is a joke!"
An enraged Rei throws her arm up in the air to transform. She calls out her henshin phrase, but nothing happens. The young Rei casts a spell to make her older counterpart forget her dream. Rei collapses to the ground. Palla-Palla appears with a tiger. She sends the tiger to kill Rei.
Outside the circus tent, Diana comforts her parents who are upset over being kicked out of the circus. She reminds them that they are cats, after all. Luna looks up and sees Phobos and Deimos squawking and circling over the House of Mirrors. The tiger roars and bursts through the door to the House of Mirrors as the two crows attack.
Rei lies on the mirrored floor. Two miniture girls with dark, long hair appear. Each one holds a single crow's feather in her hand. Rei opens her eyes. The girls call her "Princess Mars". Rei sits up and looks into a mirror. She sees the image of everyone hypnotized in the circus. The two girls hold up a glowing heart and offer it to Rei. They are Phobos and Deimos in their true forms. Rei accepts the heart crystal.
"Mars Crystal Power! Make Up!!"
Rei appears as Super Sailor Mars. Above her head, an arrow appears along with flames. She grabs it with her gloved hand. "This feeling! I was searching for it, this sensation," Sailor Mars thinks to herself. "I'm the soldier of flames! To protect the Princess, this planet, and my comrades." Sailor Mars holds out the arrow and points her finger forward.
"Mars Flame Sniper!" The arrow lodges itself in the tiger and then shoots out of its body and into the mirrors. The House of Mirrors vanishes.
Sensing Tiger-Eye's death, Hawk-Eye runs out of the circus tent. The spell on the audience is broken and the exits reappear. Usagi, Mamoru, and the girls go outside and meet Rei. She tells them that the enemies are using the circus to brainwash people. The Dead Moon Circus must be driven from the city.
Later that day, inside the circus tent, the Amazoness Quartet mourn the loss of Fish-Eye and Tiger-Eye. Jun-Jun reminds them that they can't attack the Senshi from the front because they are too powerful. Cere-Cere agrees that they should do as Grandma (Zirconia) says. They have only begun to fight.