Chapter 24: From Ivy to Marshmallow
Mozzarella sat in her room in the palace dungeons, doing something she normally didn't do, which was quietly thinking. Ever since that day when she had come to try to kill Zelda, thinking it would bring Parallax back to her, she had wondered if joining the Love Angels had been right. Maybe, she thought, I should've just told Parallax or someone that I was lonely. Maybe even the Queen, since she used to be such a good friend to lonely people when she was younger.
"You have a visitor, Mozzarella." She looked up when she heard the voice. Chibi-Usa was nearby, along with Makoto, Seiya, and Parallax.
"More like a few visitors," Mozzarella giggled, glad to see someone. Chibi-Usa led them into the cell room so they could be close to her.
"I have something very important to tell you about myself. Some people know, but it's not something I usually talk about since I still feel guilty for it," Chibi-Usa admitted, "I was once in your situation." Parallax stared at the pink-haired girl, trying to disguise the eagerness and triumph in her eyes. Yes, I knew it! I knew you had a dark secret in your past, she silently cheered in her mind.
"What do you mean? Did you turn evil because you were looking for love and friendship?" Mozzarella asked.
"Yes, that was exactly it," Chibi-Usa sighed, and then she began her tale, "When I was 5 years old, I felt like my parents didn't love me. Now that I think about it, they were probably just trying to toughen me up for my future as Sailor Chibi Moon, but I didn't know it then. Like, they just told me to get up on my own when I would fall, and that kind of thing. One time I thought they had even forgot my birthday, but of course they didn't. What I felt most was that I wanted to be graceful and dignified like them, a true lady. I thought that if I could get that special stone Mama had, the Silver Crystal, it would give me the power to be a graceful lady, just like her. So one day, when Mama and Papa were out doing royal business, I snuck into Mama's room and went to steal the Silver Crystal. That, as you might know, triggered the Black Moon's attack on Crystal Tokyo, and I escaped to the past since I thought I had lost the Silver Crystal, when it actually just went inside my body somehow. The Wiseman found me, though, and he used my guilt and loneliness to make me feel all bitter and angry, and I let him turn me into the Black Lady. When I was in that form, I was all mean and attacked my parents and the other Sailor Senshi, who kept trying to show that they loved me. I don't ever want to do that again, and I don't like seeing someone else go through the same thing. So please, Mozzarella, please come back to us and be Sailor Marshmallow again." Mozzarella was amazed. The pure, sweet princess had once gone through that too? As she thought about it, she realized that Chibi-Usa always did seem to be hiding something dark and sad in her red eyes. That must be why Parallax likes her so much, Mozzarella thought wryly.
"Yeah, so I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, Mozzarella. I'm sorry I took Seiya away from you. But why didn't you tell us you were lonely? All three of us like active games, so we could've pretended you were our surrogate daughter," Makoto pleaded. At that, Seiya shifted uncomfortably.
"Actually, Makoto, she DID tell me, but I was too caught up in being lovestruck to notice. I think I lose myself when I'm in love," she admitted.
"Yeah, love can be a wonderful thing, but sometimes it distracts people and makes them selfish," added Chibi-Usa wisely, thinking of when she used to visit the past and how Usagi would get all jealous of her hanging on Mamoru.
"But HOW do I come back? Or am I just stuck as Angel Ivy?" Mozzarella asked. Chibi-Usa nodded.
"Just use your old bracelet. If you hold it, and truly wish to be a Sailor Senshi again, it will return to its original color and you can transform into your true form again," she said kindly, handing the tainted bracelet to Mozzarella. Mozzarella stared at it, wondering what she was supposed to do. She thought about how ever since she joined the Love Angels, she felt like homosexuals were bad people, when she had never thought that before.
"Is homosexual love any more selfish than the love between a man and a woman?" she asked.
"Not really. I've definitely seen jealousy and selfishness in both kinds of love, and it really depends on the person," Chibi-Usa answered. Mozzarella clutched the bracelet hard, and the green faded away from it, leaving it a pristine lavender color. She held it up, nervous but proud.
"Marshmallow Prism Power, Make Up!" As the lavender lights shot to the sky, reaching through the tops of the Crystal Palace, the Love Angels quaked in fear.
"We've lost one. Angel Ivy left us," moaned Momoko, clutching Yuri and Hinagiku and sobbing.
"Please stay with us, Serena, please. We're your favorite anime characters," Yuri pleaded. Serena, who was sitting in the corner, seemingly caught in a trance, suddenly gasped and stood up, running off to the bedroom she had been given at the Love Angels' house. Back at the Crystal Palace, Chibi-Usa, Makoto, Seiya, and Parallax cheered when they saw Sailor Marshmallow once again.
"It's me again. I'm me again. This just feels so...right," she said, slowly grinning as she looked down at the familiar old lavender sailor collar and skirt, the pink bows, and the white Senshi bodysuit and gloves.
"We must bring her back. It's up to us, we did it before. Come on, Yuri, before she gets too used to being a Senshi again," Hinagiku ordered, yanking the startled brunette to her feet.
"Wedding Graceful Flower! Angel Precious Lily!"
"Wedding Attractive Flower! Angel Courage Daisy!"
"YAY! You came back! I'm so glad you're not going to be mean to gay people any more," smiled Chibi-Usa, who then shrieked and jumped aside as a flash of blue and green light nearly hit her, signaling the incoming teleportation of Angel Daisy and Angel Lily.
"AAAH! It's you guys! Why did you make me be all mean and hate Seiya and Makoto when they could've helped me!" Sailor Marshmallow whined.
"We didn't make you act mean, we helped you see their true evil," snorted Angel Daisy. Angel Lily nodded.
"Don't you agree that they were selfish to ignore your pleas for friendship?" she coaxed.
"Yeah, but they just said that they were sorry and that I could be like their daughter, so I'm not mad at them any more," shrugged Sailor Marshmallow.
"Let's beat them here and now! Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" yelled Chibi-Usa, and Parallax followed suit, both transforming in a flurry of orange and pink swirly lights.
"You asked for it, you obnoxious princess! Saint Pendule..."
"Fire Soul!" Sailor Cinnamon called; she was quicker and Angel Daisy screamed, rolling on the floor to smother the flames.
"Saint Lipliner Lily Rainbow!" Angel Lily countered, tying up Sailor Cinnamon's hands so she couldn't attack.
"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"
"Silver Spikes!" Sailor Marshmallow and Chibi Moon threw their two powers at Angel Lily, the former distracting her when the stream of pink hearts hit her in the face, and the second slicing her rainbow ribbons to bits.
"Let's get away from these evil violent girls! We need to regroup and make sure Serena doesn't leave us as well!" Angel Lily exclaimed, and they ran out of the dungeons quickly.
"Well, at least we got you back, and that's what's important. I hope Serena can see the light as well," commented Makoto.
"Serena will be harder to convince, probably. What I know about her, she really loves anime and manga and was thrilled to meet the Love Angels when they first appeared, so it's like she finally got her dream when she got to live with them. Also, I heard Haruka and Michiru were mean to her," said Seiya.
"Maybe if Haruka and Michiru apologize, then Serena will want to come back," suggested Sailor Marshmallow, who was still transformed, not because of any threat, but because she liked being a Sailor Senshi again.
"They won't need to apologize for anything," Makoto argued, "From what I heard, they were completely legitimate in telling Serena that she had to fight the Love Angels, and she just blew up at them and called them hypocrites for doing things that they did a long time ago. I think she's the hypocrite since before, she had no problem with homosexuality and when she joined the Love Angels, she suddenly did."
"That's what they do to you. They kinda brainwashed me too, so don't blame Serena for that," Sailor Marshmallow answered.