OMGsh! I'm SO SORRY I HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATING! I've been really busy with CG (color guard) and school, and it's just been a real pain. But YEAH! FINALLY done with it. Wait… starts bawling No more color guard! sob!

So, just for y'all, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Oh, And I don't own the characters, just soran and the plot

He let out a dramatic sigh. "Man! Chrome-dome Tanaka just had to go and spoil our fun again!"

Hajime glanced at his friend from under the shadows of his cap. "What are we gunna do now, Mannen?"

The Knight of Ice shook his silver head. "I don't know." He quickened his pace, trying to let loose some frustration. This was the fourth time chromedome had chased the trio off the Awayuki mansion property. It's not like they were doing anything wrong, they were just playing, flying kites and such. No harm, no problem. Not only that, but they were Knights! Protectors of the Pretear! A just so happen resident of that mansion. And by chasing them off, chromedome was keeping them from their duties! Oh well.

"I know." Mannen peered down at Shin. "Let's go see Goh! He always seems to cheer Mannen up."

Mannen sighed again and gave a short, mental, like hell! "Fine. We've got nothing else to do."

The trio started in the direction of the restaurant where the Fire Knight was occupied.

Hajime smiled brightly, eyes squinting with the movement. "I hope he'll let us have one of those strawberry sundaes! That'll make you feel better!"

Mannen squared his shoulders. "I don't know what you two are getting all worked up about. I'm fine!" A quick image of the golden custard topped with crimson strawberries popped into the young Knight's mind. "Though a sundae does sound pretty good." Mannen started off at a sprint towards the restaurant, with Hajime and Shin on his heels.

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Hayate and Sasame walked the city, scouting for clues that could point them towards the princes of Disaster. Strange though, they had yet to find anything. So the duo continued their routes, walking in a comfortable silence.

Sasame's mind wandered. He thought of the previous Pretear. About her quite and timid nature. About the way she put all of her being into being the Pretear. About how she had given into her darker side because of unrequited love. So deep was Sasame buried in his past, that he barley caught the last few words Hayate threw at him. Giving his head a small shake, he drew himself back into the real world. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I said, you've been getting home awful late these past few nights. What's up?"

Sasame averted his friends eyes. "Nothing."

"Bull. You can't tell me it's work. No one would stay after that late, or as often as you do." Hayate paused, watching Sasame for any sigh of reaction. "Been going out with friends?" No reaction. "Hot date?" Nothing. "Bench girl?" There! Sasame's eyes flickered for a moment. Only because Hayate knew his friend so well was he able to catch the movement. He smile triumphantly.

"Her name is Soran," said Sasame, eyes still focused on the ground.

Hayate nodded. "I know." A brief silence swept over the pair. "So…"

Sasame stopped, and looked at the Knight of Wind. "So… what?"

Hayate raised one eyebrow in an I-know-you-know-what-I-mean gesture.

"It's nothing," Sasame blurted. "I just stop and talk to her on my way home from work, that's all. We're just friends."

"Really?"

"Yes, really, and I would appreciate it if you would not concern yourself with who I choose to associate myself with."

Hayate kept quite. Obviously there was more to this than Sasame was letting on. Best not to push it. If he didn't want to talk about it, then that left plenty of room open for Hayate's own little private investigation. Okay, little, was an understatement. He WOULD find out why Sasame was so wrapped on this girl.

Sasame's POV

"Yes, really, and I would appreciate it if you would not concern yourself with who I choose to associate myself with."

I watched as Hayate's features closed over. He retreated back behind his defenses. Defenses that I haven't seen used against me in a long time.

A small mental sigh rang through my mind. I don't know why I snapped. Possibly it was because of Takako's love for Hayate. My jealousy towards him had never truly died out. And now he was curious about Soran! He was scheming something. They way his eyes rolled slightly upward was proof of that.

I shook my head. Never mind. Most likely I was overreacting anyways. It wasn't Hayate's fault that Takako had chosen him. And he didn't even know Soran. Well, not yet… but that would change tonight.

I turned my head and managed to catch his eye and gave him a small smile.

Hayate smiled back, a rare sight, and our comfortable silence was restored.

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Normal POV

"What?! Wadda'ya mean Goh's not here?"

"What I mean is, HE'S NOT HERE. Ya know M.I.A., absent, taken a day off, NOT HERE-"

Mannen glared at the waiter. "I know what it means! I meant where did he go?"

"I already told you, he took the day off! How am I supposed to know WHERE he went? Now, am scram! You're not supposed to be her anyway." With that, the waiter walked off, leaving the Knights to stand outside on their own.

"Jerk," Mannen muttered.

Shin pulled on his pant leg. "Now what?"

"I don-"

"Excuse me." Mannen and the others turned around to find the origin of the voice. It belonged to a waitress clearing off a side table. "Pardon the interruption, but you're looking for Goh, right?"

Mannen crossed his arms. "Yeah, what of it?"

Something close to amusement danced in her sapphire eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you, but as Jeof said, Goh took the day off. Heard him mention something about a 'babysitting' job or something." She threw the rah she used to wipe down the table over her shoulder and faced the trio. "What'cha need? Maybe I can help."

"We don't need yo- Hey!" Mannen felt a brush against his pant les and Hajime and Shin ran past him.

The waitress placed her hands on her knees as she tried to match their level without ruining her uniform. A lock of blue tinted blond hair fell over her shoulder.

"We were trying to cheer Mannen up. He's mad at Mr. Tanaka for running us out again, so we brought him here to see Goh."

"Hajime," Mannen groaned. "She doesn't need to know that!"

"And we thought Goh would give us a sundae."

"Shin!"

The waitress laughed. "Well, I'm sorry I can't be Goh, but if you want, I can get you those sundaes. It's kinda slow right now, so just grab a seat. What kinda would you like?"

Both Shin and Hajime shouted out strawberry while Mannen gave a mischievous smile. "I'll have a custard sundae with chocolate and strawberries, topped with hazel nuts and almonds, with a drop of whipped cream placed dead center on top." The waitress smiled and started off towards the kitchen. "Don't you need to write that down?" Mannen called after her.

She turned and answered over her shoulder. "Nope."

A few minutes later she returned with a tray full of sundaes. She placed the strawberry ones in front of Hajime and Shin then turned to Mannen. "One sundae with chocolate and strawberries, topped with hazel nuts and almonds, and a drop of whipped cream placed dead center on top, right?"

Mannen grumbled as he leaned back in the chair, his arms crossed about his chest. When the waitress placed the sundae in front of him, he spotted something wrong with the order. "Ha!" Mannen leaned forward and pointed. "No one ordered a chocolate sundae." He crossed his arms again, only this time in triumph. "Told'cha you should have wrote it down."

An amused smirk played on the waitresses features. "Actually," she said as she sat next to Mannen, "this one's mine." She laughed as Mannen slumped down in his seat and began to pick at his dessert.

Yay! Next chapter finally up! Hope it was ok. Sorry again for taking so long.

OH! And please check out my other story Soulless Wander. It's so good!

Bye for now!