Chapter 14: Stolen Bubble Gum
Zelda the hyrax looked out from her perch in Kou Taiki's arms. She could see the small baseball field, meant not for major-league games but for informal fun in the park. Madoka Hino was there, as well as Makoto Kino and Minako Aino.
"Taiki, can I carry the hyrax? She always bites me but I want to try just this once!" Zelda growled when she heard that obnoxiously cheerful Italian voice.
"She doesn't like you," snapped Kou Yaten, who was also there behind Taiki.
"I bet you'd like me better if you got to know me. How come you get along so well with Parallax, though? Parallax is MY friend, so I should be your friend too!" Mozzarella Rigatoni argued, ignoring the humanoid aliens and speaking to the hyrax.
"She knows the gloom of life. You don't," humphed Zelda as Taiki set her down on a bench.
"Life isn't gloomy. Life is fun! So is baseball; do you want to play, Zelda?" Mozzarella chirped.
"I don't think hyraxes have the physical ability to play baseball. Their bodies aren't built for it," answered Taiki.
"Maybe she could be the ball," teased Minako. Zelda opened her mouth to retort, but then she was interrupted by a different voice.
"Haruka, why do you want to play this boy's game? It's so unlady...what?! All of you are going to be unladylike too?!" Galaxy Chang and Haruka Tenou had arrived too.
"Why are you here if you think sports are too unladylike?" asked Makoto, feeling some of the old fears creeping in, wondering if Galaxy was correct.
"Well, Haruka told me she was going to do something that was popular with the girls here in Crystal Tokyo, but if that's true, then the girls in Crystal Tokyo don't know how to be proper girls!" Galaxy declared. Haruka would have scolded her, she really would have. It's just that then she realized that Seiya was at the baseball field too.
"Haruka...no, please don't start fighting with Seiya again," moaned Minako.
"Yes, let's just play baseball peacefully," added Makoto.
"How about we play adults against children. But since there's only me and Madoka, and I don't think Galaxy wants to play, so one of you adults has to play with us," Mozzarella decided.
"I'll volunteer to be on the children's side. Now you have to learn how to get along with Seiya, Haruka," snickered Minako, who went over and stood next to Madoka and Mozzarella.
"What?! That's not fair! I'm taking the..."
"No, Haruka, we NEED you, and what are you doing here without Michiru anyway?" Seiya teased.
"Maybe she's finally learned that she needs to find a man and that she was just confused about her gender before," supplied Galaxy.
"I am NOT confused about my gender, Michiru just wasn't interested in playing baseball," snapped Haruka.
"Aww, temper, temper! Maybe if you had a man, you would...HEY!" Galaxy shrieked as Mozzarella poured a bottle of water down the back of her shirt.
"Look, can we just start the game? Galaxy, please go sit on the sidelines and stop bothering Haruka, and Mozzarella, no more pranks," scolded Makoto.
"Okay! Play ball!" giggled Minako, and she threw the ball wildly; it sailed over everyone's heads and then landed in the trash can. Madoka shrugged and went over to fish it out, but then something in the can grabbed her arm and flung her over to the other side.
"Mozzarella, take this. Setsuna told me to give it to you," hissed Haruka, handing a lavender bracelet to the small Italian girl.
"Am I a Sailor Senshi? And is there a monster?" Mozzarella asked eagerly.
"Probably. Bubble Gum Prism Power, Make Up!" called Madoka as she struggled in the grasp of whatever it was that had her trapped.
"Okay! Marshmallow Prism Power, Make Up!" shouted Mozzarella. When she was done transforming, the Garnet Rod was in her hands, only the orb was pink instead of red.
"Popsicle Prism Power, Make Up!" added Galaxy. Sailor Bubble Gum decided to fight back and so she shoved the trash can over. She crashed in front of it, shielding her face from the landslide of trash. Then a gargoyle creature flew out, grasping Sailor Bubble Gum in its claws.
"Silver Spikes!" shouted Sailor Marshmallow. She held up the Garnet Rod, aimed it at the gargoyle, and a bunch of spikes shot out of it. Some of them missed, but a few hit the gargoyle's wings, and it fell to the ground. It began to limp away, still carrying the struggling Sailor Bubble Gum, who, despite her usual strength, seemed to be losing.
"Stop that man-eating beast!" exclaimed Sailor Popsicle.
"Man-eating? Then it won't be a problem since Madoka's a girl," shrugged Sailor Marshmallow.
"Then why is it trying to bite her arms off?!" screamed Makoto.
"See?! See what happens when you're sexist?!" shouted Haruka.
"World Shaking!" called Sailor Bubble Gum, sticking her hand down the gargoyle's throat. She crashed across the ground and landed next to a tree as it exploded in a rain of multi-colored dust. Sailor Marshmallow ran to see if she was okay, but when she got there, Hikaru was blocking her.
"Silver...OW!" Sailor Marshmallow was knocked to the side as Hikaru's sword struck her. Fuu and Umi crept out from behind the tree and teleported away with Hikaru and Sailor Bubble Gum, leaving a note behind.
"What does that say? Why did the Magic Knights care to leave a note for us if they want to destroy us?" called Minako as she ran up, Sailor Popsicle following her.
"It says that if you want to see this Sailor Senshi again, come to Nanaban High School tomorrow. Bring your transformation bracelets, give them to us, and we'll give you this Sailor Senshi," Mozzarella read aloud.
"How rude of them, can't they call her by name?" huffed Sailor Popscicle.
"I don't think they know her name, and they probably wrote that before they knew who they might try to capture," offered Minako.
"We'll have to tell Rei, or maybe the Queen. And um...I don't think we should give the Magic Knights our bracelets. I think we should fight them for Madoka since they're the bad guys and we don't have to be nice to them," Mozzarella said, detransforming.
"That could be dangerous, though. What if they kill her to punish us?" worried Zelda.
"Do you want us to give up our Senshi powers when you're the one who's got the job of giving them to us?!" Mozzarella retorted.
"Look, let's just go to the Queen and ask her what to do. Or maybe we should ask King Endymion, since men are smarter than women," suggested Galaxy. Minako just rolled her eyes, Haruka opened her mouth to comment, but Zelda got the chance to speak first.
"Why don't you tell both the King and Queen. Since you believe in gender stereotypes so much, you must also believe that women have certain strengths as well. Why not combine both?"
"Whatever, let's just tell the Queen, the King, and even Diana! We need to save Madoka! Her mother isn't complete without a child to take care of!" proclaimed Galaxy.
"Jessica Cornflower lives there too," Haruka reminded them.
"You mean that cold little chemist girl? I am NOT working with a girl who prefers smelly potions to beautiful perfume!" Galaxy sniffed.
"Let's just stop arguing, Galaxy, and go ask the Queen about what we should do to save Madoka and keep the Sailor Senshi's transformation bracelets," said Makoto.