Ami was sitting on a bench at Juuban Park, waiting for Harusuke and reading a book as she did. She wore a long, sky-blue dress with some white designs on the hem of her skirt and white heels. As she waited, she looked over at the clock.
"Let's see… I managed to get here a bit early," Ami murmured. "And Harusuke should be here any minute."
She then remembered back to her previous date with Harusuke.
"Last time, I made the mistake of focusing on not messing up, but this time, things will be different," she thought. "But today, things will be different. I'm going to focus on having fun while making sure that Harusuke has learned well. After all, it's my duty as a friend and as a girl. I just wish I didn't feel so antsy about it."
Then, as she continued to wait, two boys happened to be walking by, and when they saw Ami, they couldn't help but admire her.
"Whoa, check it out!" one said. "That girl's a total cutie!"
"I know! She's a ten out of ten on the scale!" said the other. "And she's all by herself, too! I'm going to go over and say hi!"
"No way, dude! I saw her first," interjected the first. "If anyone's going to talk to her, it's going to be me!"
But before the two could even approach Ami, Harusuke came jogging up, wearing a blue button-down with a white shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of black sneakers.
"Ami!"
When she heard him, Ami looked up, and her face lit up the moment she saw him. "Harusuke! You made it!"
Upon seeing Harusuke, the two boys couldn't help but stare out of surprise, turning frozen where they stood.
"I didn't want to keep you waiting, so I left a bit early," said Harusuke. "In fact, I think we're both a bit early."
"Well, now that you're here, should we get going?" asked Ami. "I'm pretty eager to get this little outing of ours started."
"Sounds good to me," said Harusuke. "Let's go."
And so, the two set off together while the two guys couldn't help but start lamenting.
"Aw, man, she was already on a date with someone?" said the first.
"And that guy looked pretty good looking, too," said the second. "I mean, did you see his outfit? And that hair… he looks like a model!"
"Damn," cursed the first. "Some guys have all the luck. I bet he's quite the chick magnet with looks like his. I'm so jealous."
Ami and Harusuke took the bus and were eventually dropped off at the aquarium, their first stop on their practice date. After getting their tickets and going inside, the two were welcomed by the sight of numerous tanks and exhibits filled with not only water but also various species of aquatic life. There was even a tunnel that, as you walked through it, allowed you to see even more of them.
"Wow! I haven't been to this place for a long time!" Ami gasped in wonder. "It's changed a lot since I've last seen it!"
"I didn't know you've been here before," said Harusuke. "Is that OK?"
"Of course it is," said Ami. "I remember coming here with my mother before when I was little, but back in those days, it was a bit smaller than it was now. I've always loved checking out all the sea creatures and stuff."
The two then took their time walking around and checking out all the different sea creatures in the giant tanks: colorful coral, strange-looking urchins and anemones, and fish in all sorts of sizes and shapes. There were even some freshwater creatures in the smaller tanks and some penguins, too.
"There's so much to look at here," Harusuke said as he looked around. "I don't think I've ever seen this much aquatic life before."
"It's quite marvelous, isn't it?" said Ami. "All of this thriving life inside of a single building? It makes you wonder if there's this much in an aquarium; just imagine how much life there is out in the ocean and all the other bodies out there in the world."
She then stopped and looked at a small fish tank, where some seahorses were slowly drifting along their merry way.
"Aw, look at these, Harusuke!" Ami pointed out. "Aren't they cute?"
Harusuke came over to inspect, eyeing a brown one that had its tail looped around a stalk of kelp.
"They sure are," he agreed. "You know, it always baffles me how, despite their appearance and name, they're a kind of fish."
"I know, they're quite unusual," said Ami. "But, despite being fish, they're pretty bad at swimming like them. After all, they can only swim to about five miles per hour, which makes them the slowest marine fish in the whole world."
"You don't say?" Harusuke hummed with interest.
"And that's not all," said Ami. "They're also carnivores that can eat quite a lot of food, such as small shrimp, zooplankton, and even some small fish. They also don't have any teeth, so they use their snouts to suck in their food and swallow it whole."
Harusuke then smiled at Ami. "It figures that you know so much about these little guys," he said. "It's almost like you're a tour guide."
Ami then shyly averted her eyes. "Wh-Whoops. Sorry. I guess I started rambling for no reason," she said. "You probably think this kind of stuff is rather boring."
"Not at all," said Harusuke. "In fact, I find it pretty fascinating. Do you think you can tell me more fun facts?"
"Sure I can," said Ami.
They continued looking at the sea life while Ami gave some interesting facts about whatever animal they saw over the next hour, having fun as they did.
Then, they heard an announcement from the intercom.
"Attention, please. The dolphin show is about to start in five minutes."
"A dolphin show, huh?" murmured Ami. "You want to go check it out?"
"Sure," said Harusuke. "Let's go."
The two made their way outside to the aquarium's amphitheater in the back and took their seats. And it wasn't too long before a male trainer came onto the stage.
"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the show!" the trainer spoke through a microphone. "We appreciate you all for coming! Now, it's time to introduce our stars! Please welcome Saki, Mato, Baki, and their leader, Ari!"
At his call, four dolphins leaped out of the water. Two were gray, one had a black stripe on its sides, and the last was gray with a slight tint of blue.
"I'm assuming the one with the blue tint is Ari," Harusuke murmured to Ami.
"You think so?" said Ami. "What makes you say that?"
"Just call it a hunch," said Harusuke. "Mostly because that dolphin sort of reminds me of you."
"Me? No way," dismissed Ami. "I don't even know where you'd get that impression aside from color."
The dolphins then proceed to dance across the water with only their tails, twirling hoops and tossing them back and forth with each other and jumping through hoops hanging from above the pool. Ami, Harusuke, and the other people in the crowd watched in amazement and applauded.
The trainer then tossed a ball over to them, and the dolphins bounced it back and forth with each other using their snouts. But as they did, one of them bounced the ball too hard and flew towards the audience. However, the gray dolphin with a blue tint jumped out of the water and, using its tail, slapped the ball back into the pool, passing it to the other dolphins.
"An incredible save by Ari!" the trainer cheered. "She's a bit on the shy side, but she's always willing to lend a hand for her friends."
"See? I told you she was Ari," Harusuke said. "And with what that trainer put it, she even sounds like you."
"Well, I wouldn't go that far," said Ami.
"But it's true," insisted Harusuke. "You're always helping us with our studying for school, and whenever we're in trouble, you always try your best to help us. You've always been a kind person to everyone, including me, Usagi, and all of the others."
Ami stared before looking down at the floor. "Well, if we want to talk about kindness, you're all just as kind as you say I am," she said. "Especially you and Usagi. I don't know if I'd be the girl I am today if it wasn't for you all, so I'm the one who should be grateful."
Just then, one of the dolphins leaped out of the water and landed back in with a massive splash. A huge wave of water flew into the air and splashed all over Harusuke, Ami, and some of the people in the audience. Harusuke and Ami were drenched from head to toe.
"Whoa! Looks like Baki wanted to show off his jumps to the crowd!" laughed the trainer. "Sorry about that, folks!"
"Well, it looks like we ended up getting soaked," Ami laughed. "I guess it's our fault for not renting any-."
But as Ami turned to Harusuke, she saw a sight that made her go silent. Harusuke's hair had now flattened, obscuring half of his face.
"Harusuke! Y-Your hair!"
Harusuke moved his hair to the side. "No worries, it always gets like this when wet," he said. "Although, it's a pain in the butt to dry."
At first, Ami couldn't help but stare. But then, she started to snicker, desperately trying to hold back, but in the end, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" asked Harusuke. "Do I look that goofy?"
"I'm sorry, but yes!" Ami spoke as she continued to laugh. "I know I shouldn't be laughing, but…"
As she continued to laugh, Harusuke looked back at her for a pause, and he couldn't help but start laughing, too.
Later, the dolphin show was over, and Harusuke and Ami stayed a bit longer before leaving the aquarium. After that, the two went to the Juuban Museum to check out the gemstone exhibit. They looked at all the gems and stones, and Ami was impressed.
"All of these gems are quite fascinating," said Ami. "I heard from Rei and Minako that it was thanks to this exhibition that they were able to come up with their fusion forms."
"That's right," said Harusuke. "I'd have my dad to thank for this. He's the one who recommended this to me. Now, there's a lot of stones to look at, so we can take our time."
The two looked around at the display cases, looking at the gems and other rocks. However, they couldn't find anything that would fit them for a name. Ami, in particular, was having a bit of trouble deciding and was growing worried. It was already growing late.
"Hmmm, I just can't decide on one," said Ami. "Any one of their names could be good for our fusion, but I just don't know."
"No worries," said Harusuke. "If we can't find one today, we can always come back on another day."
"But I feel bad for being so indecisive, especially since you went through the trouble of picking this place," said Ami.
"Oh, come on. There's no need to," soothed Harusuke. "It's all OK, Ami."
Then, just as they were about to leave, Harusuke happened to notice a display case filled with light-colored gemstones. Inside, a spherical gemstone stood on a stand that was a shade of pale blue banded with white lines.
"Hey, Ami. What about that one?" he asked as he approached the case. "This one matches the dress you're wearing."
"If I recall correctly, that's moss agate," said Ami as she came over. "It's one of the different variants of agate that can be found in places that have volcanic activity. Agate can also be in many different colors and is very popular because of its many different patterns. Most of the moss agate you see is green, but seeing it in blue is a rare sight to see."
"How fascinating," said Harusuke. "And according to the info card, it's considered one of the few stones that is suitable for the Zodiac sign, Virgo, of which Mercury is its ruling planet. It fosters balance and growth and is considered to symbolize wisdom, loyalty, and protection. Wearing it can also enhance emotional balance and inner peace."
"Is that so?" said Ami with interest. "I didn't know that, but I do find it quite interesting how much it relates to me with my birth, personality, and my planet. And now that I think about it, I do like the sound of Agate. What do you think?"
"I think I like it," said Harusuke. "It's perfect for us."
"Very well. Then Sailor Agate it is," smiled Ami.
There was a brief pause as the two looked at one another until Ami spoke up again.
"Um, shouldn't there be some kind of reaction?" she puzzled. "I'm told from Rei and Minako that once the name was picked out, there was supposed to be some kind of spark."
"Well, I guess that only happened when we touched hands," said Harusuke. "Of course, we were only high-fiving and fist-bumping each other."
Ami then held out her hand. "Then why don't we try it again? This time with a handshake?"
Harusuke chuckled. "It makes it seem like we're doing a business deal, but sure," he said. "As of now…"
"Our fusion name is…" led Ami.
They grasped each other's hands as they shook while speaking in unison.
"Sailor Agate!"
Immediately after that, the two felt a powerful electricity-like surge shoot through their bodies as a brief spark of blue sparked on their hands.
"Wh-Whoa. That was an… interesting reaction," said Ami as she let go. "Guess that confirms it, then."
After that, Harusuke walked Ami home to her place, the apartment complex.
"Man, I had a lot of fun today, Harusuke," said Ami. "Thank you so much."
"It's no problem," Harusuke said. "But I'm glad you had fun. I take it this means I pass?"
"Sure do," said Ami. "An A plus. I'd say the biggest highlight was Baki's jump."
"Same here. Although, I didn't expect you to bust out laughing at how my hair looked when it got wet," chuckled Harusuke. "Plus, I think that was the first time I've seen you laugh so much, so I'd say it was a good memory for me, too. Speaking of which…"
He then produced a small stuffed dolphin. It was gray with a black stripe on the side.
"I couldn't find the Ari one, and the one for Baki was the only one they had," apologized Harusuke. "I'm not sure if you're into stuffed animals, so I hope it ain't too weird."
Ami's eyes twinkled as she smiled. "I love it," she said happily. "Thank you."
"I'm glad," said Harusuke. "Anyway, I better get going. Got a curfew to keep. I'll see you later, OK?"
"Sure thing," said Ami. "Bye, Harusuke."
With a last cheerful greeting, the two went their separate ways and started off for home. As she held the stuffed dolphin in her arms while making her way to her apartment, Ami couldn't help but hug it close. She smiled to herself, feeling happy.
"I'm still not fully used to dating yet, and this may have been a practice date," she said to herself. "But… I wouldn't mind doing that again sometime."
