Chapter 25: Peanut Butter Returns
When Yuri and Hinagiku returned from their failed mission, Serena was in her bedroom, almost terrified of the Love Angels. She wondered why they suddenly seemed so harsh and bossy to her, as if there was something wrong with them. Ever since that incident at the observatory, she had been wondering whether or not it was right for her to be on the Love Angels' side. She was bothered by the idea that "Love Angels" would want to get rid of love that happened to be between people of the same gender, especially since the only homosexual people she had any problem with were Haruka and Michiru. As she was pondering over these things, Aphrodite appeared to her.
"Please don't abandon the cause, Serena. We need you," the "Goddess of Love" said gently. Serena looked up and was about to reach out to the ethereal figure when it flickered and a horribly familiar aura seeped into Serena's consciousness. She screamed and jumped back on her bed, clutching a pillow.
"Go away! GO AWAY, SAILOR NEMESIS!" she screamed.
"Fine, then. I guess my disguise wasn't working," snapped the flickering figure before she disappeared. Serena gasped. That was the same aura, the same person who had appeared at the palace during the big Senshi meeting back in March and sent everyone into the Mario video game! And, obviously, that was the person who was sending her favorite anime characters to attack her! In a panic, she opened her window and fled out into the city, trying to outrun everything that was terrifying her.
Michiru stared into the Deep Aqua Mirror. There was no mistaking it. It was time to act, time to bring the whole Sailor Senshi team back together. And she needed to be a part of it.
"Haruka, we must act soon. Serena is on the verge of coming back to us, but I think it will take a gesture of kindness from us. I think she feels that we were too hard on her," she said.
"Fine, but let's take Rainbow and Galaxy along, just in case Serena turns violent. And Kurumi Kino should come too; she once got pretty close to bringing Serena back. She probably would've suceeded, too, if that annoying Tokyo Mew Mew character hadn't appeared," Haruka agreed, not too surprised to hear this news. She had often felt the aura of peanut butter on the wind recently.
"Why can't I go too? I'm a Sailor Senshi," Pierre complained.
"Because that's exactly why. You need to stay home and protect Hotaru and Setsuna if some of the Love Angels decide to come over here. Can we trust you with that?" Haruka asked him, half-teasingly.
"Of course you can! Especially when they taste my paper attack!" Pierre declared proudly. Haruka grinned at him as she and the others left to go find Serena.
Meanwhile, the Love Angels were planning a counter-attack. When they realized that Serena had escaped, they had panicked, especially since Yuri and Hinagiku weren't sure they were ready to fight so soon again. They decided it was best to send out Scarlett and Momoko this time, especially since Momoko was Serena's favorite Love Angel character.
"But where would she be? She could be anywhere!" wailed Momoko.
"I have a hunch. My intuition tells me she's probably at that manga store in the mall where I first met her," Yuri said slyly. Indeed, that was exactly where Serena had run off to in her frightened daze. She felt drawn to that spot, the place where her dreams had been both granted and shattered. She picked up a Wedding Peach manga off the shelf and flipped to a random spot.
"Impossible. Not in a million years. You're a man," Serena read aloud to herself. So Angel Salvia thinks that Hinagiku can't marry a man because acts too manly? So it is true that they were homophobic? How come I never noticed it before? Maybe I was blind to their true nature, she thought sadly. Then she remembered Sailor Nemesis. She had to warn them! What was she doing here, away from them where Sailor Nemesis could harm them! She ran out of the manga store, only to crash right into Galaxy.
"Please warn the Love Angels! They're being tricked by Sailor Nemesis!" she wailed, clutching Galaxy.
"That's what we've been trying to tell you, silly. And the way to free them is to kill them in this world so they can go back to where they belong. I know it's mean, and I would've argued too, but I saw it happen at the palace. Sailor Nemesis is definitely behind this, and we need to free them from her. And we need to free you as well," Kurumi said gently.
"By killing me too!" Serena shrieked, jumping away from them in a fright. Kurumi giggled.
"No, silly, you just need to transform into Sailor Peanut Butter again. That's all you need to do."
"But I just can't kill them! They're my favorite characters!" Serena shouted.
"If they're the Love Angels, then what were they doing with the Book of Love? Was that ever part of the manga or anime?" Rainbow challenged.
"No, but..."
"Serena, it's obvious! Sailor Nemesis created it! Just like she tore them from their world and forced them to fight us! Just like she did with Spectra!" Rainbow ranted.
"With Spectra? Rainbow, I'm so sorry! I told Angel Salvia all about them, Space Girl Spectra and all, and I thought it would be a nice, peaceful way to break up Ahmed and Pierre! I was just following their orders but I was trying to do it without hurting anyone! I thought if Spectra told you that they were a bad couple, you would listen to her," Serena sobbed, grabbing Rainbow, who shoved her away.
"You fool! You were the one who...MPPHH!" Rainbow was cut off as Haruka grabbed her mouth.
"That's enough, Rainbow, we're here to bring Serena back, not argue with her. She didn't know, so don't blame her. She understands your pain," Michiru admonished Rainbow, who sat on a bench and sulked at them in response.
"That's right. Those Love Angels...why would the Love Angels do such a thing? Under Sailor Nemesis's control...but I just don't want to hurt them!" Serena wailed, torn between her love for her favorite characters and the realization that she possibly HAD to hurt them to save them from Sailor Nemesis.
"You HAVE to hurt them. You were able to hurt me, so you can hurt them," Rainbow snapped sullenly.
"I didn't KNOW it would hurt you! They told me that Ahmed was just in love with Pierre because he was fat and not because of any emotional connection! I didn't know any better!" Serena pleaded.
"Ahmed and Pierre are not for you to worry about. They can handle their own relationship, and I'm quite sure Pierre wouldn't let someone trick him with that kind of fake, shallow love," Haruka said dryly. Serena then turned to Haruka.
"And what about you? You were so angry at me," she said, confusion showing in her brown eyes.
"Yes, and you were too. I was a hypocrite then, and if that type of situation came up again, well, I don't know what I would do. I'd like to say I'd do my duty, but my ties to Michiru are too great to ignore," Haruka sighed.
"Maybe I should come back. I mean, at least you were just being loyal to your heart, and I know what that's like," Serena said, still unsure. Just then, Angel Salvia and Wedding Peach burst into the manga store, and Rainbow, Galaxy, and Kurumi all transformed, ready to fight them if needed.
"Come back here, Serena! Those are impure people!" Angel Salvia ordered.
"Me, impure! I'm on your side! I don't like gay people either, but I don't think killing them over it is the answer! And you're just being tricked by Sailor Nemesis, and you tricked a lot of people too!" Sailor Popsicle accused.
"Sailor Nemesis! We don't need to hear that kind of foolish talk! Passionate Cake Cut!" Angel Salvia roared, swinging her sword at Sailor Popsicle.
"Supreme Thunder!" countered Sailor Peppermint, shocking the sword, which made Angel Salvia yelp in pain and drop it. Haruka and Michiru couldn't hide their grins at seeing Rainbow protect Galaxy, two people who they thought would NEVER want to cooperate!
"Stop it, Wedding Peach, Angel Salvia! Sailor Nemesis disguised herself as Aphrodite and tricked you! Galaxy's telling the truth! I saw her!" Serena pleaded.
"Huh? What does that mean? I don't understand," Wedding Peach responded, now too confused to fight. Serena held up her bracelet, which glowed red and turned into a star-shaped brooch, which she placed on her chest.
"It means the Dessert Senshi and I will have to free you. Peanut Butter Star Power, Make Up!"