It was after school at Juuban Middle. Ami was just heading out of the classroom to meet up with Usagi and the others for a study session when she heard the vice-principal call her.
"Ms. Mizuno? May I have a moment with you?"
Ami stopped just before she left the classroom. "Yes, Sir?"
The vice-principal then held out a textbook. "I found this in the A.V. room," explained the teacher. "I believe this belongs to you."
"Oh, thank you very much," Ami thanked as she took the textbook back.
"You know, Ami, I've been feeling a bit worried about you," said the vice-principal. "It's not like you to forget your textbook. Is something bothering you?"
"Uh... not really," replied Ami.
"Just so you know, this is your entrance exam year, so I'm expecting great things from you," the teacher went on. "You are one of the brightest students this school has to offer. So make sure to study hard."
"I will, Sir," nodded Ami.
"That reminds me. I've heard that you've been tutoring some of our less than accomplished students prepare for the exam," continued the vice-principal. "Won't helping those slackers take time away from your studies? You can talk to me if they are dragging you down."
Ami knew that the vice principal was looking out for her, but she couldn't help but feel a bit hurt. "But even if you're the vice-principal, I don't think it's fair to say they're dragging me down," she said firmly. "I would think that you would encourage students to do their very best."
"Yes, you're right, of course," the vice-principal relented. "But my point is that your priority is to concentrate on your studies, and nothing else. So anyway, I must get going."
The vice-principal went on his way, leaving Ami by herself. But, as she walked down the stairs, she still couldn't help but feel upset.
"It's always my grades and nothing else," Ami sadly mumbled to herself as she continued on her way.
She didn't notice that Usagi and Harusuke were over by the shoe lockers as she walked out. The two Tsukinos had overheard everything Ami and the vice principal said, and not only was Usagi upset, but she felt regretful too.
"I'm dragging her down?" Usagi mumbled sadly. "As much as I hate to say it, he might be right."
"Don't let it get to you, Sis," soothed Harusuke. "That vice principal was just looking out for Ami, aside from being a total jerk."
Just then, Naru came stomping up. "So this is where you've been hiding, Usagi!" she spoke, sounding annoyed. "Have you been hiding from us?"
Usagi felt puzzled. "Why would I be hiding?" she asked.
Naru answered by yanking Usagi to her feet. "Because you promised me pizza if I let you copy my homework, or did you forget?"
"Um, are you sure I said that?" Usagi asked, still confused.
"Yes, you did!" Naru snapped. "And Umino gets one too!"
And before Usagi could protest, Naru dragged the ordango blonde right out of the shoe lockers, with Harusuke following while shaking his head exasperated. He then looked back to where Ami left, feeling a bit worried.
"I just hope that Ami's OK," Harusuke thought to himself. "She always was the type of person who acts brave but can be a bit sensitive."
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The next day, Ami was still feeling depressed as she sat on the stone steps in Juuban Park. As she sat there, she heard a voice call out to her.
"Yo, Ami."
Ami looked up, and she saw Harusuke coming up to her. "Oh, hi, Harusuke," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"That's my line," said Harusuke. "Shouldn't you be over at Rei's place for study hall?"
"Well, yes, but," said Ami. "I just... needed some time for a bit."
Harusuke could see that Ami was feeling blue, and he knew the reason, but then, before he could say anything else, Mamoru came walking up.
"Hey there, you two," Mamoru greeted. "Any particular reason you both are out here by yourselves? Is something wrong?"
Harusuke wanted to tell Mamoru about what the vice principal had said, but he felt it wasn't his place to talk about it.
"Come on, you guys can tell me," urged Mamoru. "If there's anything on your mind, talking about it will make you feel better."
There were a few seconds of silence until, at last, Ami spoke up.
"Mamoru, Harusuke, is getting good grades all I have going for me?"
"What do you mean?" puzzled Mamoru.
Ami then shook her head. "I'm sorry. That was a strange thing to ask," she said. "I've just been thinking about my future, is all. When I was a little girl, I've always wanted to be a doctor, just like my mother. So, I put my head down and studied hard without giving it a second thought until now. I've always thought that was my dream, but now I'm not sure if that's what I want to do after all."
"Why wouldn't be?" asked Mamoru.
"Because I want to follow my life's dream," said Ami, as she gazed up towards the sky. "But I'm not sure if I even have one."
"Why would you say something like that, Ami?" Harusuke asked. "I say wanting to be a doctor is an inspiring dream to follow."
"That may be so, Harusuke, but I've noticed that there are some people who are passionate about their dreams," said Ami. "And they have a strong inner glow to them. Usagi is full of dreams, and she shines just like the Moon. I don't even come close to that."
Mamoru and Harusuke frowned.
"I'll admit that Usako has more than her share of dreams," Mamoru said. "But..."
"You do realize you're talking about the girl who constantly complains about studying," added Harusuke. "And for that matter, isn't as passionate about things like you think she does."
"Anyway, just because I'm a good student doesn't mean I'll be a great doctor," continued Ami. "If all I have going for me is studying only, what else is left?"
There was a slight pause. Then Harusuke spoke up.
"Well, that's quite a shame then," Harusuke spoke teasingly. "Because if I had a doctor that was as kind, sweet, and cute as you, Ami, I wouldn't have to worry about my shots when I go in to get them."
Ami looked up at Harusuke, quite taken aback. "Harusuke, you're afraid of needles?"
"Well, it's not that I'm afraid of them exactly," Harusuke spoke, scratching his cheek. "But I can't say that I like them either."
"Same with me," said Mamoru. "I can't stand them."
Ami stared at the two boys. Then she began to giggle a bit.
"Oh? You think that's funny?" Mamoru chuckled.
"Yes, I thought you two were the typical brave and strong men who aren't afraid of anything," Ami laughed. "But, I guess everyone is scared of something." She then stood up, feeling much more cheerful. "Thanks a lot. I feel a lot better after talking to you two."
"That's good," smiled Mamoru.
"Glad to see you smiling again, Ami," agreed Harusuke. Then he suddenly remembered looking at his watch. "Say, you want to get going to study hall? We can walk to Rei's place together."
"No, you can go on ahead of me, Harusuje," said Ami. "I think I'm going to go for a swim in the pool for a bit. So I'll meet you over there. Bye."
And with that, Ami scampered away.
"Wish she could see what we see, Harusuke," commented Mamoru. "Ami's got a strong inner glow already."
"She sure does," agreed Harusuke. "Especially when she's smiling."
But unknown to them at the time, Kaolinite had been watching them from afar, and she had her gaze solely fixed on Ami.
"So, that girl is the well-known genius, Ami Mizuno," Kaolinite thought to herself. "With her brilliance as well as her dream of wanting to be a doctor, she surely must possess a pure heart filled with confidence, and perhaps a talisman as well."
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Ami soon arrived at the public pool and had changed into a sky blue one-piece swimsuit. The place was empty without a single soul around, but Ami didn't mind it.
"Since there's no one around, guess I have the pool all to myself."
First, Ami dipped her feet into the water and splashed some on herself to help her get used to the temperature. Then she slipped into the water, going underneath the surface, and started to swim towards the middle of the pool and even did a couple of turns and flips while she did it. Whenever she swam in the water like this, Ami felt so serene and free, like she was in her natural home.
But as she swam around, Ami didn't realize that she wasn't alone. Someone else was swimming in the water, not too far away from her. That, someone, was Michiru.
When Michiru saw Ami swimming, even she couldn't help but feel impressed.
"She looks so alive in the water," Michiru thought to herself. "She almost reminds me of myself."
Michiru then started towards Ami, gracefully swimming as she went. Ami soon noticed Michiru, and when she saw her, she was amazed.
"She looks so beautiful," Ami thought. "And graceful, too, like a mermaid."
The two then swam up to the surface, feeling their lungs wanting air.
"Hello there," Ami greeted.
"You're a pretty good swimmer," Michiru complimented. "You must have lived in a water world in your past life."
Ami felt her cheeks redden, not expecting such a compliment, not saying a word.
Michiru then swam up to Ami, a teasing grin tugging her cheeks. "Why don't we race? From here to the wall."
At that moment, Haruka seemed to appear from out of nowhere, standing outside of the pool. "Ready? On your mark...!"
Ami felt overwhelmed and swept away, but she got ready to race as she and Michiru got ready.
"Go!" Haruka shouted.
At Haruka's call, Ami and Michiru took off swimming, both swimmings going as fast as they could. The two were neck and neck, neither losing momentum nor falling behind.
"She's faster than I expected!" Michiru thought.
The two swam, and they swam until the two reached the other side of the pool, touching the concrete simultaneously.
"Looks like we can call that a tie," Ami panted.
But Michiru was now frowning as she silently swam past Ami. The bluenette felt puzzled as she followed Michiru to her chair, wondering what was wrong.
"Why did you suddenly slow down?" Michiru accused as she dried her hair. "Did you think I wouldn't be able to keep up with you, so you let me win?"
Ami was surprised as well as ashamed. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't think that at all," she mumbled.
Then, as if all of her previous enthusiasm wasn't there at all, Ami felt her heart sink as she grabbed her towel and took off, much to Michiru's surprise.
Haruka then came up. "You know it wasn't very nice making her cry like that, Michiru," she lightly scolded, chuckling.
"But I wasn't trying to!" protested Michiru.
"You were accusing her of throwing the race," Haruka explained. "I think she's the type that lacks confidence for confrontations and just wanted to be your friend. She most likely avoided confrontation without even realizing it, but you went and had to be mean anyway."
"I only meant that she should always give it her all and not worry about offending anyone!" Michiru objected. "Now, I feel bad for her. I didn't mean to upset her."
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Ami sadly made her way to the Hikawa Shrine, her confidence and ego in shambles, as she desperately tried to hold back her tears.
"What's the matter with me?" Ami wondered miserably. "Why am I feeling this way?"
The saddened bluenette soon made it to the top of the shrine's steps. As Ami approached, she pushed herself to smile, not wanting anyone to worry. When she came in, she saw Usagi and the rest of the gang were busily at work studying but were making lousy progress.
"Say, Minako, can you help with this one?" asked Makoto, showing her a page of her workbook. "Can you tell me what this proverb means?"
"Oh! I know that one! It goes like this," Minako said. "Some old farmer counted up all of his eggs and then said, "Don't count your eggs before they are chickens."
Harusuke groaned loudly. "Minako, please. Don't mislead Mako with your butchering of proverbs! The correct way to say it is - "
Ami then entered the room. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," she cut in.
Everyone then looked up, and when they saw Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Rei all immediately jumped all over her, hoping that she would help them with their studying. But then, Usagi immediately got in the middle of them and forced them away from Ami.
"Enough, everyone! Now listen up! We need to leave Ami alone!" the ordango blonde ordered firmly. "Studying is something you're supposed to do by yourself!"
Everyone stared at Usagi, wholly baffled as well as shocked. Even Harusuke couldn't help but gawk.
"I don't believe it!" Minako gasped.
"Usagi said something admirable!" Makoto gulped fearfully.
"Should we call a doctor?" Rei asked nervously.
"Hey! I'm just fine, thank you!" Usagi huffed crossly.
"You sure, Sis?" Harusuke asked. "Because that was unnatural, even for you."
"Shut up, Harusuke!" Usagi snapped. "I'm perfectly healthy!
"Usagi, it's all right. If you guys have any questions, you can always ask me," said Ami. "It's no trouble at all."
"No! It's not OK!" Usagi yelled, making an X with her arms. "Look, Ami needs to have some study time for herself! That way, she can become a great doctor someday. She's not a slacker like us, so we can't interfere with her study time anymore!" She then tapped her chest while standing proudly. "From now on, I won't let anyone interfere with Ami's studies!"
The girls were puzzled, while Harusuke then realized why Usagi was acting the way she was.
"Now, I get it. The vice principal's words must have gotten to her pretty bad," Harusuke thought. "Now, she's trying to help Ami by trying to ease the burden off of her."
"But Usagi, it's no problem," insisted Ami.
"It's OK, Ami. You don't need to worry about us," said Harusuke. "I can help with whatever they need in their subjects. I may not be as smart as you, but I'm pretty sure I can help. You just focus on taking care of yourself for a bit. After all, you could use a little me time. Just make sure to study hard, OK?"
Ami was silent. Then she nodded. "I guess you're right. Thank you for your concern," she said. "But I forgot one of my study guides back at home. I'll be back in a bit, OK?"
Then Ami left, but then Usagi and Harusuke noticed something that shocked them. As Ami went, though it was only a tiny glimpse, the Tsukino siblings saw that her eyes began to well with tears as she disappeared from the doorway. The others didn't notice this, more surprised at Usagi's behavior and Ami forgetting her book.
"Wow, Usagi becomes studious for once, and Ami makes an excuse to leave early?" Minako spoke.
"That's a new twist," agreed Makoto.
"In that case, let's get back to studying before Usagi loses her motivation and drags her brother with her," said Rei.
But then Usagi dashed away. "I forgot something too!" the ordango spoke.
"Usagi, wait for me!" Harusuke cried as he chased after her.
Minako, Makoto, and Rei all face-faulted to the ground, again blown away in shock, unaware of what was happening.
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Usagi and Harusuke were now running in the streets of Juuban, searching for Ami.
"Oh, man, I guess I messed up big time!" Usagi spoke with regret. "I didn't mean to make Ami upset!"
"It's not your fault, Usagi," Harusuke assured. "You were trying to help Ami, and I went along with it. But it's obvious that she's still hung up over what the vice principal said to her."
"I just hope Ami's not angry with us," Usagi said. "I just wish I knew where she could've gone off too."
"She couldn't have gone far," said Harusuke. "We'll find her."
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Meanwhile, Ami stood by the bridge, staring at the murky water below. She felt miserable.
"Even Usagi and Harusuke think that all I should do is study," Ami mumbled. "It now seems that grades are the only thing that I have." She bit her lip, fighting back the tears as she held her face in her hand. "I hate this."
Just then, she heard the sound of an engine. Ami then turned around to see Haruka on her motorcycle, carrying a red helmet while wearing hers.
"Hey there. My partner wants a rematch with you," greeted Haruka. "And please, don't turn me down. Otherwise, I might have to chase you all around town. I can give you a lift to the pool if you want."
Ami scowled. "No, thank you," she said firmly but politely. "I'd rather walk if you don't mind."
"Suit yourself," smiled Haruka.
And Ami started towards the pool while Haruka followed her, driving slowly.
As they went on their way, they happened to walk past Luna and Artemis, who were on patrol. When they saw the two, they were surprised to see them.
"That's Ami!" gasped Artemis. "I thought that she was studying with all the others tonight!"
"And I wonder why she's with Haruka," wondered Luna.
The two cats were about to dash after them when they heard Harusuke and Usagi.
"Ami! Where are you?" called Usagi.
"Ami! Say something!" Harusuke also called.
The two cats immediately went over to the Tsukinos.
"Usagi! If you're looking for Ami, we just saw her with Haruka!" said Luna. "They just went down the other direction!"
"But why would Ami be with Haruka?" wondered Harusuke.
"I don't know, but we have to follow her!" said Usagi. "Let's go!"
"Follow us!" said Artemis.
And with the cats leading the way, Usagi and Harusuke dashed away, hoping that their friend was alright and safe.
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When they arrived at the complex, Ami got herself dressed in her swimsuit and marched to the pool to find Michiru waiting for her.
"So, you've come, Ami Mizuno," said Michiru. "Did you come out of your own free will, or did Haruka have to force you?"
Ami stood for no-nonsense. "Of course, Haruka didn't force me. I came here out of my own free will," she said firmly. "And if I upset you, allow me to apologize. So, were you joking, or did you honestly want a rematch?"
Michiru smiled at Ami. "I do, but I want you to try and beat me this time," she said. "Don't hold anything back."
Ami and Michiru took their places on the deck while Haruka stood beside the pool, preparing to act as referee.
"This will be a hundred-meter freestyle race," Michiru said. "Sound good to you?"
"Sure," replied Ami.
The two girls crouched down on their decks, preparing to dive while Haruka raised her hand for the signal, and with a snap of her fingers, their race began, Ami and Michiru diving into the water.
Both girls sped along the water, putting every ounce of speed and muscle into their limbs. Soon they reached the other side of the pool, and both parties elegantly flipped and started back to the other side.
Haruka watched with interest. "This will be fun," she mused to herself. "They're neck-in-neck."
Michiru couldn't help but feel interested too. "Just as I thought, she is an incredible swimmer," she thought to herself. "But I won't lose!"
As Ami and Michiru raced, Ami couldn't help but notice how fast Michiru was going, but she didn't know why. Then she began to think to herself about this whole thing most significantly, how she felt about this, and about how skilled Michiru was.
"I've never raced anyone like her before! She might even beat me!" Ami thought. "But, why am I trying so hard? And why does losing to her bother me so much? Is it because I don't want to lose to her?"
Then, Ami reached an epiphany, the thought alone lighting a fire of determination in her heart.
"No, it's because I know I can do better! If I give up now, I'd just be running away, and there's no way I can do that! It doesn't matter if I win or lose! All that should matter to me is giving it my best!"
Ami pushed herself harder thanks to this determination, swimming as fast as Michiru. They swam with everything they had until they both reached the wall at the same time, ending the race.
After a while, both Michiru and Ami were resting, the girls completely out of breath.
"You both finished at the same time," said Haruka as she came up to them. "Once again, it's a tie."
"So, how did it feel about going all out, Ami?" gasped Michiru. "Pretty good, right?"
Ami looked up at Michiru and couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. It did," she panted. "Thank you."
"Thank you as well," smiled Michiru. "For showing me a good time. We should do it again sometime."
Haruka and Michiru went on their way, leaving Ami not only happy but also filled with pride, a lot of the weight lifted off of her shoulders. She felt so proud that she couldn't help but want to go back into the water.
"Maybe just a few more laps to unwind," Ami said to herself. "Then I'll head back. I just hope Usagi and the others aren't worried about me."
But as she got back into the water, she didn't notice that Kaolinite had appeared just above her, dropping a Daimon Egg into the water. The water suddenly began to glow in an ominous red color. The water swirled and whipped about a spiral, and out from it, a daimon emerged.
The Daimon was human-like with purple skin and had fins on the side of her face while her skin was scaly. She also wore a black one-piece swimsuit with an air tank on her back, yellow flippers on her feet, and a pair of goggles and a yellow swimming cap, along with a snorkel. She also had two inner-tube rings around her waist. The Daimon spoke, but all Ami could hear was complete gibberish due to the creature having the snorkel in her mouth.
The Daimon then took out the snorkel from her mouth. "I am Doburin," she introduced. "Your pure heart is one that not only has a beautiful shine that craves to try her hardest, but also possesses the spirit to prove to be the best it can be."
Kaolinite then floated down to the floor. "Doburin! Make sure you take that pure heart so that I may see if it's a talisman!"
"You got it, Kaolinite!" Doburin acknowledged.
Doburin then focused her gaze on Ami making several tendrils of water wrap around her body, dragging her under the water. At Doburin's command, the water sent Ami skipping across the water, slamming into the window, and changed into a strange gooey substance that kept her there. Doburin then took off her swimming cap, revealing her head to be bald and having a black star tattoo in the middle of it. The Daimon then aimed and, from her tattoo, fired a powerful beam straight into Ami's back as she began extracting the girl's pure heart, making her cry out and writhe in agony.
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Usagi, Harusuke, and the cats soon arrived at the sports club. They could see an ominous glow just on the upper floor when they got there.
"That light!" gasped Artemis. "And that evil energy!"
"It has to be a Daimon!" said Luna. "And Ami must be up there with it! Usagi! Harusuke! Transform!"
The Tsukino siblings looked at each other, and while giving each other a nod, they sprang into action.
"MOON COSMIC POWER MAKE UP!"
"SOLAR PRISM POWER BLAZE FORTH!"
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Transformation Sequence: Usagi
Usagi's Cosmic Heart Compact opens, revealing the pink heart-shaped crystal inside, waving her hand over it. It flashes twice and erupts in pink light. Usagi is now standing in the middle of a light blue heart that's spinning to the right. She stands one leg while holding up her arms and begins pirouetting in the opposite direction, going faster until, in a burst of light, pink ribbons envelop her torso and midsection, transforming into her leotard. She elegantly stretches out her arms, and pink ribbons cover them, forming into her gloves. She then raised her right foot high with incredible flexibility, and pink ribbons cloak it changing into her boots. The heart made of blue light then turns into a circle of sparkles swirling around her waist, forming her skirt and bow. Now no longer in light, Usagi spins around a couple of times like a ballerina and takes a slight bow. As she comes out from her bow, a crescent moon mark glows in the middle of her forehead. Then, a tiara appears bearing a gold symbol of the Moon, along with her earrings, choker, and her ordango covers. Finally, Usagi opens her eyes, her transformation now complete, and strikes her signature pose.
Transformation Sequence: Harusuke.
Harusuke holds up his hand as the stone on his bracelet shines bright in golden light. The stone lets out three pulses, the symbol of the Sun glowing inside of it on the third pulse. Harusuke is enveloped in silver and gold light as he jumps into the air, his clothes disappearing. The symbol of the sun appears just above him and goes down, phasing through his body, making his silver jumpsuit with gold lines on the sides materialize. Two smaller sun symbols go over his feet to his kneecaps, and his gold and metal boots and silver kneecaps appear. Around his waist, a ring of light wraps around it, forming a belt with a gold belt buckle in the shape of an oval. Harusuke then spreads his arms wide as two more light rings envelop his arms and hands, making gold gloves appear. The symbol of the sun appears in front of him now, and crashes into his chest, making his chest piece like before, now thicker and having shoulder guards. Finally, a helmet materializes above Harusuke's head, the design slightly different as he reaches and grabs hit, putting it on his head, not having a mouth protector. Harusuke opens his eyes, punches his hands together, and strikes his signature pose, the symbol of the sun appearing behind him with a star-filled background.
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As Ami continued to writhe and scream in agony during the extraction process, she began to grow weaker and paler by the second. Then just as her pure heart was about to be taken out, a pair of voices shouted.
"Stop that right now!"
Doburin and Kaolinite looked up, and Sailor Moon and Solaris burst into the room.
"That girl came here looking for a relaxing swim!" Sailor Moon scolded. "You two ended up coming here as unwanted guests!"
"Not only that, but neither of you has the respect or the proper etiquette when it comes to public pools either!" Solaris accused. "Especially when it comes to your attires!"
"I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice, Sailor Moon!"
"And I'm the Guardian with the radiance of the sun and the courage of a warrior who also fights for love and justice, Solaris!"
"And in the name of the Moon and the Sun, we'll punish you!"
"Not you two brats again!" Kaolinite snarled. "Doburin! You continued taking out that girl's pure heart! I'll handle them myself!"
"Just you try it!" Solaris yelled as he clenched his fist, gathering power. "ARROW OF SOL!"
The Guardian of the Sun unleashed a powerful arrow of golden light at Kaolinite, only to use her wand to block the attack. Doburin turned towards Ami, about to fire her beam again, when Sailor Moon cut her off.
"I don't think so!" Sailor Moon yelled as she swung her leg. "SAILOR BODY KICK!"
The Guardian of the Moon kicked the Daimon right across her face knocking her into the water. However, all that did was make Doburin angry. She leaped out of the water at her command, made a tendril of water shoot out, and hit Sailor Moon, sending her flying and hitting the floor. While she was down, Doburin then fired one of her inner tubes binding Sailor Moon tightly, and when she did that, she quickly turned towards Ami and fired her beam, resuming the extraction of her pure heart.
Solaris saw this and turned away from Kaolinite for a second, about to come to Ami's rescue, but Kaolinite fired an attack from her wand, forcing Solaris to jump back. Then before Solaris could react, Kaolinite made her hair extend and wrap and tighten around his neck. Then in a feat of strength, Kaolinite whipped her hair around while swinging Solaris and then let go sending the guardian crashing into the chairs that stood on the side of the pool.
With no one stopping her, Doburin extracted Ami's pure heart, completing the progress.
"No! Give that pure heat back to her right now!" Sailor Moon yelled. "That girl's heart is filled with love and kindness! Her hopes and dreams of becoming a great person who does her best, no matter what people think! I won't let you take that away from her!"
But Kaolinite didn't listen, as she was about to inspect the crystal to see if there was anything special about it. But then, a rose came shooting from above, cutting her off. Then, Tuxedo Mask appeared while standing on top of the diving board.
"How dare you try to take the pure heart of a girl working hard to fulfill her dreams?!" Tuxedo Mask scolded. "I will never forgive such a cruel action!"
"Yet another pest makes his annoy appearance!" Kaolinite huffed. "Doburin! Take care of him while I inspect the crystal!"
The Daimon then leaped out of the water and fought with Tuxedo Mask while Kaolinite inspected the crystal.
Solaris soon recovered a bit and sat up feeling dazed and bruised. Then, he saw Kaolinite, who was now holding Ami's crystal in her hands as she inspected it. But, unfortunately, she found that it was nothing more than an ordinary pure heart to her disappointment and disgust.
"Damn it! This one isn't it either!" Kaolinite growled in frustration. "No matter. I'll just get rid of this crystal since it's of no use to me!"
Solaris' eyes went wide with horror as Kaolinite raised her hand, preparing to throw the crystal to the ground. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask saw this too and were just as horrified.
"No! Don't do it!" Sailor moon shrieked as she struggled to break free from her tube.
Tuxedo Mask tried to rush over to stop her, but Doburin cut him off, preventing him, as Kaolinite started to bring her hand down to throw the crystal. At that moment, Solaris' body began to glow bright blue while water began to envelop his body.
"DON'T YOU DARE ! ! ! ! ! ! !" Solaris bellowed.
Solaris' body exploded in a bright blue pillar of light, making everyone freeze from surprise and shock.
Solaris' prism then changed to bright blue as he held up high, shouting his phrase.
"SOLARIS MERCURY POWER RANK UP!"
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Transformation Solaris: Mercury Mode
The gem in Solaris' bracelet glows brightly in a bright blue light, the symbol of Mercury shining inside the prism. Next, Solaris is enveloped in bright blue light, as long tongues of water shoot out from his bracelet and encircle his body as he spins around, similar to Ami. First, the ropes of water wrap around his body, creating a sphere. Next, his boots emerge from the water, blue while retaining the silver. Then his belt is revealed, also being blue, along with his right and left gloves and chest, while keeping the silver. At the center of Solaris' chest, it changed to silver, and the dot had changed to the symbol of Mercury. Finally, the head of Solaris emerges from the lightning, the helmet slightly different in design. A blue visor covers his eyes as he strikes his signature pose, while the background shows his symbol and Sailor Mercury overlapping each other in a blue and gold background.
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In his Mercury Mode, Solaris shot towards Kaolinite, gathering water into his hands while spinning around.
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"
Solaris then unleashed a mighty torrent of water at Kaolinite that hit her directly into her chest, sending her slamming into the window, knocking Ami's Pure Heart out of her hand, and catching it in the process.
Kaolinite coughed as she struggled to her feet. "Damn it all! He powered up again?! Just where does he get all of his power?! Doburin! Get rid of him along with these other eyesores!"
Kaolinite then disappeared in retreat, not wanting to stick around. Doburin then chuffed her cheeks while holding her mouth and unleashed a torrent of water from her snorkel, but Solaris crossed his arms and countered.
"BUBBLE SPRAY FREEZING!"
He unleashed a flurry of bubbles, which upon contact, froze the torrent of water while blocking Doburin's snorkel. Seizing his chance, Tuxedo Mask leaped up and, using his extendable cane, clonked Doburin right on the head, knocking her into the water. The Daimon then burst out of the surface, coughing as she did.
"Whew! That was a close one!" Doburin gasped. "Good thing I had my swim tube on!"
But she would soon regret saying that statement as Luna and Artemis jumped into the fray, the two cats biting on the tube hard, puncturing it. As the air began to escape from it, and while the cats swam away, Doburin frantically swam to the other side, trying not to drown. While this happened, Tuxedo Mask threw a rose towards Sailor Moon, popping that tube that bound her setting her free.
"Sailor Moon! Solaris! Finish the job!" ordered Tuxedo Mask.
"Right!" Sailor Moon and Solaris said back.
Sailor Moon then summoned her rod while a geyser erupted at Solaris' feet, cloaking him in water and taking the shape of a dolphin that created a tidal wave of water.
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"
"SOLARIS MERCURY DELPHINUS TORPEDO!"
Sailor Moon unleashed her signature heart-shaped blast of energy while the water dolphin chirped as it charged. Doburin looked up, just getting out of the pool, and saw the two attacks coming right for her. In an explosion of water and hearts, the Daimon dissolved into water, and the Daimon Egg, the egg immediately crumbled into dust. Simultaneously, the goo that imprisoned Ami dissolved, setting the girl free as she fell lifelessly to the floor. Solaris rushed on over while still having Ami's pure heart crystal, but then just like before, a wave of vertigo hit him like a punch, causing him to fall to his knees feeling exhausted.
"Solaris, are you alright?!" Sailor Moon cried.
Tuxedo Mask rushed over to the guardian, only for him to hold up Ami's pure heart crystal.
"Never mind me," gasped Solaris. "Get this back inside of Ami before it's too late. I'll be OK in a bit."
Tuxedo Mask then took the pure heart crystal and rushed it to Ami. As he did, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune watched on from afar, having to have seen everything that happened.
"Unfortunately, there's nothing to be discovered this time, either," said Sailor Neptune.
"But you must be relieved that Ami's OK," smiled Sailor Uranus.
"Maybe I am," giggled Sailor Neptune.
The two Guardians then went on their way.
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Soon enough, Sailor Moon placed Ami's pure heart crystal back inside, and she soon regained consciousness. As soon as she was fully awake, Sailor Moon and Solaris apologized.
"Ami, we're so sorry that we hurt your feelings," said Sailor Moon.
"We didn't mean to say anything that would make you run away as you did," said Solaris.
"You two didn't do anything wrong," soothed Ami. "I was the problem. I was just feeling a bit depressed, but thanks to you two, I think I'll be fine now. Especially you, Sailor Moon. I'm truly grateful."
Sailor Moon was surprised. "Well, uh, I'm glad I could help you," she said awkwardly.
"Looks like you're feeling a bit better now," smiled Tuxedo Mask. "Glad to have you back, Ami."
Ami grinned at the masked man. "Yes. I've realized that's there's nothing wrong with working hard as long as you try your best," she said. "I'm not going to worry about what other people think of me anymore nor let them tell me what I should do. I'm going to do what I want to do."
Tuxedo Mask nodded in agreement, and Solaris smiled.
Sailor Moon, on the other hand, was now scowling jealously. "Hey, why are you staring into his eyes like that?" she pouted. "Ami, you may have forgotten because you were unconscious for a while, but so that you know, Tuxedo Mask is my guy."
"I don't know, Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask seems to be my type of guy," Ami teased. "Besides, don't you believe in healthy competition?"
Sailor Moon was now fuming as she clung to Tuxedo Mask. "No! No! No! No! No! No! Tuxedo Mask is mine! Get it?!"
Ami then mischievously smiled, and to the surprise of all, she wrapped her arms around Solaris' right arm and clung to him.
"Well, in that case, then I guess I'll have to settle for your brother instead," Ami giggled.
Solaris' face went pink while Usagi was indignant.
"Hey! Get your hands off of my brother!" Usagi objected. "He's not ready for that kind of relationship!"
"You don't know," winked Ami. "And you know how I am. Once I want something, I'll never give up."
Usagi now was so indignant that she began to chase Ami around Solaris while he just stood there, processing what was going on. Tuxedo Mask, Luna, and Artemis could only chuckle.
"Um, guys? Shouldn't we be heading back home?" Solaris asked. "It has gotten rather late."
"I agree," said Ami. "I say we go home and hit the books."
Sailor Moon and Solaris could only sigh.