Hey, ya'll, DarkHeart Returns!! My God, twenty-two reviews in just about three days! I feel so honored that you all enjoy this little story. And just for that, Chapter 3 now starts. Please forgive me if this one seems short as well, I haven't been feeling good all this week, so please bear with me. One quick note, though, Kanako unfortunately won't be in this story at all(sob, sob), basically since both Urashima's parents were killed when Keitaro was a baby, so no way of her being adopted by either parent. But other than that, HERE WE GO!!
Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu owns the Rights to Love Hina. I own a copy of Budokai 2 for the PS2.
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A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love
Chapter 3
{Cafe Hinata, Present Day)
It was a cold and dreary day in the little city of Hinata. A lone figure clad in a white gi and red hakama was seen making their way to a little store known as "Cafe Hinata". From a distance, this person looked like a resident at the former inn known as the Hinata-Sou. But if you got close enough, you could tell that ths certain person was male. He carried with him a backpack full of clothes, different types of books, and a sword sheathed in a scabbord with a cherry blossom design on it. He entered the cafe to rest, weary from his travels around the world. As he sat down with a cup of tea a waitress brought to him, he began to think on the message he received from his grandmother.
Just then, a loud crash and a gasp was heard from the kitchen area. Using his ki senses, he could tell that someone was trying to rob the store. Quickly, he grabbed his sword and made his way to the kitchen area. Luckily there was no customers at the time, or else they would think he was an accomplice. Upon arriving on the scene, he spotted the robber holding the waitress against him. He saw a slightly older woman slumped down on the floor, in a semi-concious state. Enraged, he drew out his sword and yelled at the so-called robber. "Let the woman go, you vile excuse of a human, and face me, if you think you can win." The robber, startled by the swordsman, released the young lady and went for his gun. Unforturnately for him, the swordsman made his attack at what seemed to any normal human look like the speed of light. Not only was the gun destroyed, but the force of the attack knocked the robber out cold.
The swordsman then sheathed his sword and said, "I hate losers like that. Using guns to commit crimes is a cowardly act, and such people will feel no mercy from me." He then went to check on the two women to see if they were hurt in any way. The waitress, who was pretty much still shaken up by the incedent, looked okay. The older lady that was sprawled out on the floor, was starting to come to. "Are you okay, miss?" the swordsman asked. The woman shook her head to get the cobwebs out from being pistol- whipped by the crook. "I'm going to be feeling that tomorrow," she said. She suddenly realised who the voice belonged to. "Kei-Keitaro, is that you?"
Stunned to hear his name, Keitaro replied, "Yes, My name is Keitaro, but who..." He suddenly recognized the outfit the woman was wearing. It still hasn't changed from since the first time he saw it fifteen years ago. "Aunt Haruka, is that you?" He managed to pull his aunt up from the floor and sat down with her at a nearby table. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's you, Nephew," Haruka said. She then leaned over as if she was going to hug Keitaro, when...
THWACK
"It's just Haruka-San, Nephew," Haruka replied, putting away her paper fan. "But I'm glad to see you. That robber got the drop on me and knocked me out before I could do anything. But thankfully you managed to stop him from hurting my waitress." She then turned her focus back on Keitaro. "By the way, what brings you here to Hinata?"
Keitaro pulled out the message he received from the last dojo he graduated from and showed it to her. "Grandma Hina sent me this message for me to come back and see her. So after I finished what I was doing in America, I came back here. Do you know where she is?" Haruka shook her head and and said, "Sorry, Nephew, but she left a year ago to do a sight- seeing tour around the world. She does send faxes however to tell us she's okay. Listen, why don't you go up to Hinata-Sou while I take care of the crook. I'll be there shortly, then we can catch up. Okay?"
Keitaro nodded, smiled, and said, "Okay, Haruka-san, but be careful. I don't want to have to hear that you got attacked by another lowlife scum. See you later!" He then got up and left the cafe. The waitress watched him leave and said, "My, what a nice gentleman, and handsome too." Haruka just shrugged and said, "Yeah, but he had better be careful while waiting for me at the Hinata-Sou. I forgot to tell him that Granny turned it into an all-female's dorm." She then turned to the lump on the floor that was the robber. "But first things first..."
Meanwhile, Keitaro made his way to the bottom stepway that led up to the Hinata-Sou when he came to a bench. He decided to sit down and do some sketching of the surrounding area. His favorite pasttime(Other than Training and meditating) was drawing. He was about to start when all of a sudden he heard the sound of light sobbing. He turned his head and saw a young girl, maybe about twelve or thirteen years old, with short hair with a blue hue. He could tell she was upset about something, but he didn't want to pry. So he decided to sketch her face. He had it almost completed when he looked at her again. He didn't like seeing a person upset, even if he hadn't met them before. So instead of a sad look, he decided to draw a smile on the picture. Just then, a gust of wind picked up the sketchpad and it landed on the girl's lap. She looked at the picture of herself smiling, and saw the swordsman sitting next to her.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Why?" Keitaro appologized and said, "I'm sorry if I offended you, I meant no disrespect. It's just that you are too beautiful to be looking so sad. I don't know why you are sad because it is no business of mine. But you should smile more, and look on the brighter side of life. Life is just too short to be sad all the time, so cheer up, be happy, and smile." She thought on these words, and then she slightly gave a smile. "Thank you, sir, for trying to make me feel better. I appreciate it."
Keitaro smiled and said, "No thanks are necessary, young maiden. It is my job to make beautiful ladies such as yourself happy. Now if you will excuse me, I must go." And with that, he got up and bounded up the stairs, leaving behind his sketchbook. The young girl noticed it and picked it up. She looked at her picture once again, and held it close to her chest. She tried to catch him, but he was too fast. She then gave up and decided to go to her new place of residence, whice would inevitably be the same place Keitaro was heading for.
Keitaro finally made his way up the staircase and was standing in front of the Hinata-Sou. He knocked on the front door to see if anyone was there. Hearing nobody answer, he tried the handle, and to his surprise, the door opened. He cautiously made his way inside, his sword at the ready to be drawn in case there was a burglar on the premises. Feeling no dark ki around, he slowly relaxed his guard. He then made his way to the landlord's room, since Granny Hina is supposedly the current landlord. He knocked on the door to be on the safe side, but sure enough, nobody was in there. He opened the door and set his stuff down. He was about to meditate, but a quick whiff told him that he was overdue for a bath. He remembered that this place had a hotspring, so he decided to bathe first and meditate second. Clad in a pair of swimtrunks, he made his way into the hotspring, sinking below the water, and letting the heat relax his muscles.
Just then, he heard the door to the hotspring being opened, and to his surprise, a girl with long, auburn colored hair, clad only in a towel, enter the onsen. Quickly thinking, he jumped out of the water and landed on the balcony that coincidentally led into the landlord's room. Outside in the onsen, the girl with the long hair shouted out, "There's a PERVERT here!! Kitsune, Quick!! Help me find that Pervert so we can teach him a lesson!!" After hearing that, Keitaro quickly got dressed, grabbed his sword, and tried to make a break for it. While quickly exiting the landlord's room, he ran into a girl about his age with short hair, slit eyes, and smelled like Sake. He then got away from her and yelled, "Sorry about that!!" The woman thought to herself, Hey, what's a cute guy doing here in Granny's room? Wait a minute, this must be the pervert Naru was yelling about!! She was about to give chase when Naru came flying around the corner, still in her towel, almost bowling Kitsune over.
"Sorry, Kitsune," Naru said while picking her friend up. "I was chasing that pervert. Did you see which way he went." Kitsune, living up to her namesake, responded mischievously, "Pervert? Are you sure it wasn't the Male Exotic Dancer you hired for us??" Naru nearly face-faulted. "What the Hell have you been smoking, Kitsune? That guy is a pervert!! He was in the hotsprings when I came in!! And If that isn't a perverted act, then I will start drinking Sake with you!!" Kitsune replied, "Geeze, Naru, take a chill pill, hun. I'll help you find him. He went this way." The two girls went the direction Kitsune pointed in and started their pursuit.
All of the ruckus being heard throughout the halls of the Hinata-Sou started to disturb a young girl of about thirteen years old from her current project. At first look she seemed to be a person from India, but nobody really knew where she was from. She opened her door and saw a man running for his life. A few seconds later she saw Naru and Kitsune running right behind him. "Heyas, Naru and Kitsune, Whatcha doin'?" Naru kept running while Kitsune stopped and greeted the young girl. "Oh, Hello, Su, we're just chasing a pervert." Su looked confused and asked, "What's a pervert? Is it something good to eat??" Kitsune, really wanting to say the comment she was thinking, pushed it out of her mind and said, "No, Su, but we really need your help. See, this guy wants to play, but Naru doesn't want to play with him." Su brightened up and said, "Kewlies!! I just might get me a new playmate! I is so Happy!!" Su ended up joining Kitsune and Naru to find this 'playmate'.
A few minutes later the three girls had Keitaro trapped in the main living room and were about to attack, when Haruka decides to show up and intervene. "Hold on there, girls, Don't you lay a hand on my nephew." The girls stopped at hearing this revelation and their jaws just dropped. Naru was the first one to recover and yelled, "This pervert is your nephew??" Haruka just scowled at Naru and said, "Yes, he's my nephew, plus he saved me and my waitress earlier today from being robbed." Upon hearing this, the girls got a little upset. "You were robbed, Haruka?" Kitsune said. "Oh my God, thank goodness you both are alright!! But how did this guy save you?"
Haruka sighed and told them the story, while Keitaro managed to sit down on one of the sofas. After hearing Haruka's story, Kitsune and Naru turned to Keitaro and appologized. Keitaro stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, but it is I who should be appologizing to you, miss. I got so caught up in relaxing in the hotsprings that I didn't feel your presence." Naru thought, what does he mean by feeling my presence? The only one I know of that says they can feel my presence is out on a trip, but should be returning today. She shook her train of thought off while he continued to speak. "By the way, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Urashima Keitaro, faithful graduate of the God's Cry School, grandson to Urashima Hina, and nephew to Urashima Haruka. Pleased to make your aquaintance. And you are?"
Kitsune was marveled at the display of manners Keitaro was displaying, and thought it would be fun to mess with this guy. She said, "Howdy, Keitaro, I'm Konno Mitsune, but everyone around here call me Kitsune. This here is Narusegawa Naru, and the young'un over there is Kaolla Su. But be careful around her, she's, how shall we say....excitable." Su just jumps up on his shoulders and says, "Heyas, Keitaro, wanna play with me??" Keitaro just sweatdrops and said, "Maybe later." Su then jumped down from his shoulders and said, "Okies!!" She then runs around the room like an airplane.
Meanwhile, making her way to the Hinata-sou, a sixteen year-old junior high schoolgirl and two of her closest friends from the Kendo club were talking. After they made it to the point where they had to go their separate ways, the sixteen year old made her way up the staircase to the Hinata-Sou. She said to herself, "I can't wait to get back home. I have so much to talk about with Naru-sempai and Shinobu-chan. I hope Su didn't have any nightmares while I was gone." She then sniffed the air, and all of a sudden pulled out her sword she had with her in her pack. "There is a man here, and he is probably a pervert. If I find him, I shall smite him where he stands." She then rushes up the stairs in order to get the drop on the so called male.
A few minutes before the girl with the sword breaks into the conversation that is already going on, Keitaro suddenly stiffens, unbeknownst to the others. His ki picks up a familiar signature that he hasn't felt in over six years. He also sees on his finger a red string that only true masters can see and readily identify it as the string of fate. Just then, the front doors burst open and a girl with a sword drawn is ready to attack him. "Vile, Perverted Male! How dare you invade the sanctity of this Dormatory for Girls! ROCK SPLIT TECHNIQUE!!" Keitaro took out his blade and spun it around like a propeller, easily dispersing the ki attack so it would be harmless. "How many times have I told you to hide your ki level before you attack," Keitaro said after quickly sheathing his sword, "Motoko-Chan??"
"How dare you call me by that Honorific!! There is only one man that I allowed in my life to call me that, and that was..." She then stopped suddenly, recognizing that voice and the lesson that was reminded to her from her past. She then saw his face, and then suddenly teared up. Keitaro said, "Who was the man who called you that, Motoko-Chan?" Motoko looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. "Kei-Keitaro- Sensei??"
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And so ends Chapter 3. I hope you all are enjoying reading this as I am writing. The next chapter may come up in a few days from now, basically because ol my work schedule, but fear not. I will update as soon as possible. And as always, Read and Review!!
Thanx--DarkHeart =P
Disclaimer: Ken Akamatsu owns the Rights to Love Hina. I own a copy of Budokai 2 for the PS2.
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A Samurai's Heart and A Ronin's Love
Chapter 3
{Cafe Hinata, Present Day)
It was a cold and dreary day in the little city of Hinata. A lone figure clad in a white gi and red hakama was seen making their way to a little store known as "Cafe Hinata". From a distance, this person looked like a resident at the former inn known as the Hinata-Sou. But if you got close enough, you could tell that ths certain person was male. He carried with him a backpack full of clothes, different types of books, and a sword sheathed in a scabbord with a cherry blossom design on it. He entered the cafe to rest, weary from his travels around the world. As he sat down with a cup of tea a waitress brought to him, he began to think on the message he received from his grandmother.
Just then, a loud crash and a gasp was heard from the kitchen area. Using his ki senses, he could tell that someone was trying to rob the store. Quickly, he grabbed his sword and made his way to the kitchen area. Luckily there was no customers at the time, or else they would think he was an accomplice. Upon arriving on the scene, he spotted the robber holding the waitress against him. He saw a slightly older woman slumped down on the floor, in a semi-concious state. Enraged, he drew out his sword and yelled at the so-called robber. "Let the woman go, you vile excuse of a human, and face me, if you think you can win." The robber, startled by the swordsman, released the young lady and went for his gun. Unforturnately for him, the swordsman made his attack at what seemed to any normal human look like the speed of light. Not only was the gun destroyed, but the force of the attack knocked the robber out cold.
The swordsman then sheathed his sword and said, "I hate losers like that. Using guns to commit crimes is a cowardly act, and such people will feel no mercy from me." He then went to check on the two women to see if they were hurt in any way. The waitress, who was pretty much still shaken up by the incedent, looked okay. The older lady that was sprawled out on the floor, was starting to come to. "Are you okay, miss?" the swordsman asked. The woman shook her head to get the cobwebs out from being pistol- whipped by the crook. "I'm going to be feeling that tomorrow," she said. She suddenly realised who the voice belonged to. "Kei-Keitaro, is that you?"
Stunned to hear his name, Keitaro replied, "Yes, My name is Keitaro, but who..." He suddenly recognized the outfit the woman was wearing. It still hasn't changed from since the first time he saw it fifteen years ago. "Aunt Haruka, is that you?" He managed to pull his aunt up from the floor and sat down with her at a nearby table. "Oh my God, I can't believe it's you, Nephew," Haruka said. She then leaned over as if she was going to hug Keitaro, when...
THWACK
"It's just Haruka-San, Nephew," Haruka replied, putting away her paper fan. "But I'm glad to see you. That robber got the drop on me and knocked me out before I could do anything. But thankfully you managed to stop him from hurting my waitress." She then turned her focus back on Keitaro. "By the way, what brings you here to Hinata?"
Keitaro pulled out the message he received from the last dojo he graduated from and showed it to her. "Grandma Hina sent me this message for me to come back and see her. So after I finished what I was doing in America, I came back here. Do you know where she is?" Haruka shook her head and and said, "Sorry, Nephew, but she left a year ago to do a sight- seeing tour around the world. She does send faxes however to tell us she's okay. Listen, why don't you go up to Hinata-Sou while I take care of the crook. I'll be there shortly, then we can catch up. Okay?"
Keitaro nodded, smiled, and said, "Okay, Haruka-san, but be careful. I don't want to have to hear that you got attacked by another lowlife scum. See you later!" He then got up and left the cafe. The waitress watched him leave and said, "My, what a nice gentleman, and handsome too." Haruka just shrugged and said, "Yeah, but he had better be careful while waiting for me at the Hinata-Sou. I forgot to tell him that Granny turned it into an all-female's dorm." She then turned to the lump on the floor that was the robber. "But first things first..."
Meanwhile, Keitaro made his way to the bottom stepway that led up to the Hinata-Sou when he came to a bench. He decided to sit down and do some sketching of the surrounding area. His favorite pasttime(Other than Training and meditating) was drawing. He was about to start when all of a sudden he heard the sound of light sobbing. He turned his head and saw a young girl, maybe about twelve or thirteen years old, with short hair with a blue hue. He could tell she was upset about something, but he didn't want to pry. So he decided to sketch her face. He had it almost completed when he looked at her again. He didn't like seeing a person upset, even if he hadn't met them before. So instead of a sad look, he decided to draw a smile on the picture. Just then, a gust of wind picked up the sketchpad and it landed on the girl's lap. She looked at the picture of herself smiling, and saw the swordsman sitting next to her.
She looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Why?" Keitaro appologized and said, "I'm sorry if I offended you, I meant no disrespect. It's just that you are too beautiful to be looking so sad. I don't know why you are sad because it is no business of mine. But you should smile more, and look on the brighter side of life. Life is just too short to be sad all the time, so cheer up, be happy, and smile." She thought on these words, and then she slightly gave a smile. "Thank you, sir, for trying to make me feel better. I appreciate it."
Keitaro smiled and said, "No thanks are necessary, young maiden. It is my job to make beautiful ladies such as yourself happy. Now if you will excuse me, I must go." And with that, he got up and bounded up the stairs, leaving behind his sketchbook. The young girl noticed it and picked it up. She looked at her picture once again, and held it close to her chest. She tried to catch him, but he was too fast. She then gave up and decided to go to her new place of residence, whice would inevitably be the same place Keitaro was heading for.
Keitaro finally made his way up the staircase and was standing in front of the Hinata-Sou. He knocked on the front door to see if anyone was there. Hearing nobody answer, he tried the handle, and to his surprise, the door opened. He cautiously made his way inside, his sword at the ready to be drawn in case there was a burglar on the premises. Feeling no dark ki around, he slowly relaxed his guard. He then made his way to the landlord's room, since Granny Hina is supposedly the current landlord. He knocked on the door to be on the safe side, but sure enough, nobody was in there. He opened the door and set his stuff down. He was about to meditate, but a quick whiff told him that he was overdue for a bath. He remembered that this place had a hotspring, so he decided to bathe first and meditate second. Clad in a pair of swimtrunks, he made his way into the hotspring, sinking below the water, and letting the heat relax his muscles.
Just then, he heard the door to the hotspring being opened, and to his surprise, a girl with long, auburn colored hair, clad only in a towel, enter the onsen. Quickly thinking, he jumped out of the water and landed on the balcony that coincidentally led into the landlord's room. Outside in the onsen, the girl with the long hair shouted out, "There's a PERVERT here!! Kitsune, Quick!! Help me find that Pervert so we can teach him a lesson!!" After hearing that, Keitaro quickly got dressed, grabbed his sword, and tried to make a break for it. While quickly exiting the landlord's room, he ran into a girl about his age with short hair, slit eyes, and smelled like Sake. He then got away from her and yelled, "Sorry about that!!" The woman thought to herself, Hey, what's a cute guy doing here in Granny's room? Wait a minute, this must be the pervert Naru was yelling about!! She was about to give chase when Naru came flying around the corner, still in her towel, almost bowling Kitsune over.
"Sorry, Kitsune," Naru said while picking her friend up. "I was chasing that pervert. Did you see which way he went." Kitsune, living up to her namesake, responded mischievously, "Pervert? Are you sure it wasn't the Male Exotic Dancer you hired for us??" Naru nearly face-faulted. "What the Hell have you been smoking, Kitsune? That guy is a pervert!! He was in the hotsprings when I came in!! And If that isn't a perverted act, then I will start drinking Sake with you!!" Kitsune replied, "Geeze, Naru, take a chill pill, hun. I'll help you find him. He went this way." The two girls went the direction Kitsune pointed in and started their pursuit.
All of the ruckus being heard throughout the halls of the Hinata-Sou started to disturb a young girl of about thirteen years old from her current project. At first look she seemed to be a person from India, but nobody really knew where she was from. She opened her door and saw a man running for his life. A few seconds later she saw Naru and Kitsune running right behind him. "Heyas, Naru and Kitsune, Whatcha doin'?" Naru kept running while Kitsune stopped and greeted the young girl. "Oh, Hello, Su, we're just chasing a pervert." Su looked confused and asked, "What's a pervert? Is it something good to eat??" Kitsune, really wanting to say the comment she was thinking, pushed it out of her mind and said, "No, Su, but we really need your help. See, this guy wants to play, but Naru doesn't want to play with him." Su brightened up and said, "Kewlies!! I just might get me a new playmate! I is so Happy!!" Su ended up joining Kitsune and Naru to find this 'playmate'.
A few minutes later the three girls had Keitaro trapped in the main living room and were about to attack, when Haruka decides to show up and intervene. "Hold on there, girls, Don't you lay a hand on my nephew." The girls stopped at hearing this revelation and their jaws just dropped. Naru was the first one to recover and yelled, "This pervert is your nephew??" Haruka just scowled at Naru and said, "Yes, he's my nephew, plus he saved me and my waitress earlier today from being robbed." Upon hearing this, the girls got a little upset. "You were robbed, Haruka?" Kitsune said. "Oh my God, thank goodness you both are alright!! But how did this guy save you?"
Haruka sighed and told them the story, while Keitaro managed to sit down on one of the sofas. After hearing Haruka's story, Kitsune and Naru turned to Keitaro and appologized. Keitaro stood up, bowed, and said, "Thank you, but it is I who should be appologizing to you, miss. I got so caught up in relaxing in the hotsprings that I didn't feel your presence." Naru thought, what does he mean by feeling my presence? The only one I know of that says they can feel my presence is out on a trip, but should be returning today. She shook her train of thought off while he continued to speak. "By the way, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Urashima Keitaro, faithful graduate of the God's Cry School, grandson to Urashima Hina, and nephew to Urashima Haruka. Pleased to make your aquaintance. And you are?"
Kitsune was marveled at the display of manners Keitaro was displaying, and thought it would be fun to mess with this guy. She said, "Howdy, Keitaro, I'm Konno Mitsune, but everyone around here call me Kitsune. This here is Narusegawa Naru, and the young'un over there is Kaolla Su. But be careful around her, she's, how shall we say....excitable." Su just jumps up on his shoulders and says, "Heyas, Keitaro, wanna play with me??" Keitaro just sweatdrops and said, "Maybe later." Su then jumped down from his shoulders and said, "Okies!!" She then runs around the room like an airplane.
Meanwhile, making her way to the Hinata-sou, a sixteen year-old junior high schoolgirl and two of her closest friends from the Kendo club were talking. After they made it to the point where they had to go their separate ways, the sixteen year old made her way up the staircase to the Hinata-Sou. She said to herself, "I can't wait to get back home. I have so much to talk about with Naru-sempai and Shinobu-chan. I hope Su didn't have any nightmares while I was gone." She then sniffed the air, and all of a sudden pulled out her sword she had with her in her pack. "There is a man here, and he is probably a pervert. If I find him, I shall smite him where he stands." She then rushes up the stairs in order to get the drop on the so called male.
A few minutes before the girl with the sword breaks into the conversation that is already going on, Keitaro suddenly stiffens, unbeknownst to the others. His ki picks up a familiar signature that he hasn't felt in over six years. He also sees on his finger a red string that only true masters can see and readily identify it as the string of fate. Just then, the front doors burst open and a girl with a sword drawn is ready to attack him. "Vile, Perverted Male! How dare you invade the sanctity of this Dormatory for Girls! ROCK SPLIT TECHNIQUE!!" Keitaro took out his blade and spun it around like a propeller, easily dispersing the ki attack so it would be harmless. "How many times have I told you to hide your ki level before you attack," Keitaro said after quickly sheathing his sword, "Motoko-Chan??"
"How dare you call me by that Honorific!! There is only one man that I allowed in my life to call me that, and that was..." She then stopped suddenly, recognizing that voice and the lesson that was reminded to her from her past. She then saw his face, and then suddenly teared up. Keitaro said, "Who was the man who called you that, Motoko-Chan?" Motoko looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. "Kei-Keitaro- Sensei??"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------
And so ends Chapter 3. I hope you all are enjoying reading this as I am writing. The next chapter may come up in a few days from now, basically because ol my work schedule, but fear not. I will update as soon as possible. And as always, Read and Review!!
Thanx--DarkHeart =P