Awkward Meeting (for Raiye-san)

Neither Haruka nor Masato were really into video games. But Friction was so popular and successful as to spawn its own video game. And it was the duo's turn to advertise the game at the local store to boost sales. Not to mention it gave Haruka extra public coverage, a must in the volatile idol business.

Anyway, the mini-expo was done, the fans gone home clutching autographed copies of Friction: Aggressive Agenda and the Friction pair done with helping the store's staff clean up.

"At last," Haruka groaned. "It's done..."

"You did great, Haruka," Masato told her.

"Thanks, Masato-kun. But, wow, I feel so tired..."

"Well, how about we get some ice cream before we head home? My treat."

"Really? Thanks, Masato-kun!"

Idol and manager headed for the entrance, not knowing who they were about to run into...

Sindel and Zera were running around to check every game.. Well, Sindel was. Zera was just moving behind her with a slow pace, carrying two large bags while Sindel excitingly played and bought the games she liked. She was done playing a new game when she heard her favorite game just opened up to play and watch at the other side of the expo, grinning as she immidiatly turned to run towards the stand, jumping away from every person she encountered. Zera released a loud sigh as she was so close to standing besides the hyped up Sindel ,just to watch her run off again, walking after her but not fast at all.

Sindel was about to cross to the other side of the expo when she suddenly saw Haruko's and Masato's face up close as she was about the pass them, her eyes widening slightly as she lost track where she was going, making a short stumble and almost falling but she managed to keep her balance, standing still for a moment and blinked when she noticed the large crowd at the stand she wanted to go.

" Oohhhhh great.. "

Sindel then turned to look at Haruka and Masato, wanting to say something to them.. But what? She didn't know what she should be saying. She should be saying sorry, closing her eyelids halfly as she bowed down infront of them and spoke out clearly.

" Uhm.. Hi.. Do excuse me. "

It was Masato who first reacted. Sindel had crossed right behind Haruka, whom Masato had been grinning at. So while most of his attention was focused on his ward, the back of his mind recognized Sindel and initiated a crash stop.

Wait a minute...

"Masato-kun?" Haruka was asking as he spun around to find Sindel bowing to them.

" Uhm.. Hi.. Do excuse me. "

"You!" Masato exclaimed with equal parts astonishment and horror.

Haruka followed his gaze. "Huh? Ah! Sindel-san!" She was even more stupefied to find Cerbera's former manager -she refused to use Sindel's once-preferred title of 'owner'- there that her usual protective instincts didn't flare up.

"What are you doing here!" Masato demanded as he backed into Haruka. Where'd she come from? he desperately thought. The Era of Hell is Cerbera's now, so- so what now?

Sindel actually knew they would react like that, standing up straight to glare at both of them, the ones red eyes she possessed were now sparkling orange, and just beyond cute on her. She brought her hand back to brush one of her bangs away from her eyes as she waited for them to finish, releasing a gentle sigh.

" ..I'm here to enjoy myself.. However, seeing you two here it gave me the courage to apologize to you two for what.. Well.. Something that possessed me, has done to you two. I do not wish to bring any harm to you two. "

She'd bow once more respectfully and raised back up with a cute smile, which quickly faded when she heard a loud yell saying:

" I-I-I-ITS CERBERA!!! THE MONSTER!! "

Some of the fans that came for Haruka, also known about Cerbera and were backing away from her, though for Masato and Haruka it would be almost perfectly clear that it was not Cerbera. This girl had an unusual evil aura around her aswell, with her ghastly red eyes, her long black hair and matching outfit that Cerbera wore but with a shorter black jacket. She was carrying a large backpack where she had thrown all the videogames that Sindel wanted in, her eerie glare looking at the person she seemed to have scared before she simply walked past them and headed for Sindel, Haruka and Masato, holding the backpack tightly over one shoulder.

Haruka galvanized herself into a more combative state of mind, only to realize something about Sindel was different. Was it her eyes, now a refreshing orange in hue? Or the gentle sigh? Or the honest-sounding apology?

"I... I see," she replied. "So Sindel-san was once possessed by whatever it is possessing Cerbera-san now... I understand..."

Masato was more reluctant but not stubborn. "If that's true, we can't hold what you did against you. So we accept your apology."

" I-I-I-ITS CERBERA!!! THE MONSTER!! "

"Reh?"

Haruka and Masato frantically searched out the new threat. They saw-

"Cerbera-san? No," Haruka corrected herself almost at once. She was starting to get used to girls who had evil auras (because apparently almost all her opponents had such auras), to the point that she thought herself an amateur authority on the matter. And she had first-hand encounters with possessed Sindel and Cerbera to recognize the aura of this newcomer was unique and, more importantly, different.

To sum, this girl only looked like Cerbera. That was still a point of worry. Did Cerbera have a twin sister wandering about in addition to that scary girl Ort? Was this girl also evil?

"Who are you?" Haruka demanded. Unconsciously she put herself between this new girl and Sindel. If this was Cerbera in disguise, she might go after Sindel. And now that she knew Sindel was only controlled, Haruka was willing to protect her despite their past.

Zera stopped right infront of Haruka, staring quietly at her before she tilted her head to the side to glare at Sindel with a confused look, Sindel smiling a little as she passed Haruka and gave her a pat on the shoulder, speaking out softly.

" Relax.. She's with me. Allow me to introduce Cerbera's twin sister, Zera. I managed to find her when I lost everything in the AFW.. She wants to make sure everything is set right and well.. She wants the jewel. "

Zera would bow after Sindel introduced her to the two, her hair gently faling from her shoulders to let them brush against the sides of her chest, standing back up straight to glare at Haruka once more with her ghastly crimson eyes, then tilting her head to Masato to glare at him, then suddenly blinking and turned to Sindel and gently placed the backpack on the floor.

" ...The new video game system and some games.. "

" Whoa? You managed to get it?! How? "

" ..Blackmail. "

" Hehe.. I.. See... Uhm.. Thanks. "

Zera nodded at her before gazing over her shoulder at all the gossiping and glaring people, releasing a heavy sigh and then suddenly turned to yell childishly at them.

" Go do something! "

The people immidiatly gasped and started to walk away.

Since Sindel stood behind Haruka, Haruka felt like Zera was glaring at her. She glared back, only to be startled by Sindel's friendly pat, and then flabbergasted. "Reh? She's Cerbera-san's twin sister?"

"So Cerbera-san has another sister aside from Ort," the only slightly less shaken Masato commented as Zera subjected them to laser-hot glares.

"Masato-kun, she wants the jewel, too."

"I see... we're all going after the same thing, then..."

" Go do something! "

They flinched even though Zera wasn't yelling at them. "Ah, Zera-san," Haruka began, "You don't have to get angry... they don't mean any harm..." She didn't notice it yet, but she was treating Zera like how she treated Cerbera during that one time at the beach.

Sindel would giggle quietly, turning back to face the two and waited for Zera to turn back to them aswell, then pointing at Haruka.

" This is Haruka, she helped your sister, and I believe she still tries to. You can trust her.. Now himmmmm.. "

Sindel moved her finger to the side and pointing at Masato next.

" Don't know much about him but from what I know, he's a great guy and is always there when Haruka needs him or not... "

Zera nodded to each of them and gave them a gracefull bow, then standing back up straight and glaring off to the side for a moment, then glaring back into their eyes and suddenly spoke out calmly.

" Can you two please aid me in capturing the jewel? "

Haruka blushed over Sindel's description. "Thank you, Sindel-san..."

" Now himmmmm.. "

Masato stared at Sindel's finger.

" Don't know much about him but from what I know, he's a great guy and is always there when Haruka needs him or not... "

"Uh... thank you... I think," Masato stuttered.

" Can you two please aid me in capturing the jewel? "

"Yes!" Haruka immediately answered. "I want to help Cerbera-san, your sister!"

"Of course," Masato agreed. "We'll help you. So can you tell us what we're getting into? We don't know much about the jewel that's taken over Cerbera-san. Asteria-san didn't get to tell us much."

Sindel nodded at them and was about to open her mouth when Zera stopped her, glaring off to the side again, there was something bugging her, and she was trying to focus on it now. Sindel also glared off to the side, also tilting her head a little backwards but saw nothing, then Zera spoke instead.

" We should go elsewhere, too crowded here. "

Sindel would then nod and turn back to the other two and smiled kindly.

" I believe we should.. I'd like to know you two better and perhaps, become friends? "

Sindel was a little unsure what to say, here there were two people who she hurt without even knowing about it, releasing another sigh just at the thought of that, Zera taking notice to that and immidiatly spoke out quickly.

" I know alot about the jewel, three people have fallen to it's power and only Sindel has returned to it's normal self. Cerbera and the one you call Asteria, both are possessed. "