An Unexpected encounter at the beach. ( Cerbera and Haruka )

" Yes but be careful, Sindel does know how to bend Asteria to her side. "

Asteria gently moved her hand inside the water, lifting it back up, a small puddle of water in her hand and leaning down to kiss it. It started to glow light blue before a sudden butterfly made out of water came from it, watching it fly just infront of her and started to giggle, stroking her finger over it's back. Some of the people noticed it and started to gossip and step away from her.

" Is she a witch!? No it must be a illusion! A monster? What is she!? "

Cerbera stared at all the commotion, muttering to herself though Haruko can hear it.

" Please ignore what they say, Asteria.. "

Haruka nodded. That much she expected. Business was business. Cerbera hadn't gone easy on her before or after her stint with Sindel. Neither would Asteria, it seemed. Though it saddened her to think that she might have to fight Asteria one day-

"Eh? Reh? REH!!! Cerbera-san! Did Asteria-san just do what I think she did?"

She stared at the butterfly that Asteria had... summoned out of seawater. Their neighbors' commentary sailed over her head without her noticing.

"That's very impressive," someone commented aloud. The startled Haruka saw Masato admiring Asteria's handiwork. Her manager toted three paper cups and a delighted smile. He looked like he would have clapped had his hands not been full.

"I haven't seen a magic trick like that," he told Asteria. "You're very good."

" Yes, Asteria is a witch. "

Asteria started to blink through all the negative comments, knowing it was send to her as the butterfly suddenly turned into a sharp dagger but when she wanted to use it, she heard a different kind of comment, making her blink and let the dagger just turn into simply water that splashed down back onto the water. She turned to look at the person who said that, nodding at him while she was getting up, muttering out.

" .. Thank you? "

Cerbera nodded to herself before taking Haruka's wrist and tugging her to follow.

" Let's go, Haruka. "

"Reh! Really?"

Haruka had turned to Cerbera in shock. She thus missed Asteria turning the butterfly into a dagger.

Masato, however, spotted the sudden shape shift. But he took it in stride. His faith was rewarded with the knife turning back into water.

"You're welcome," he told Asteria. "You must be Cerbera-san's friend. I saw you talking to her and Haruka earlier." Smiling, Masato held out one of the ribbed paper cups he carried. "Would you like some hot tea?"

Haruka allowed herself to be dragged by Cerbera towards their friends. "H-haii," she agreed, not yet clued in to the danger Masato had narrowly skirted.

When Masato was acting kind and offered her tea, asteria started to change completely, blinking up at him before nodding with a cute smile, standing back up to hold her hands out for the cup, she didn't seem to mind the people anymore, even though they did see the dagger and quickly went to sit elsewhere.

Cerbera held Haruka's wrist, soon stopping once then were close and let go, to staying close besides her. She didn't notice the dagger either, releasing a slightly yawn.

" And this is Masato, Asteria. Just like Haruka he's a very honest, loyal and great frien-- "

Once again that ball hit the side of her head, making her stumble to the side and against Haruka again. Cerbera rubbed the side of the head, looking down at the ball and picking it up with her hand. She noticed the girl from before and growled out, walking towards her.

" I'm going to make her swallow this. "

Masato smiled back as he gave the cup to Asteria. "You're welcome," he told the girl.

Haruka obediently stood beside Cerbera throughout the introduction. She noticed Masato was blushing over how effusive Cerbera was with her description of him.

"And this is Masato, Asteria. Just like Haruka he's a very honest, loyal and great frien--"

"Kyah!" Haruka yelped as Cerbera stumbled into her. She grabbed onto her friend to keep her, them, standing. "Are you all right, Cerbera-san?"

"Again?" Masato grimaced. Did Cerbera attract thrown baseballs or something?

"I'm going to make her swallow this," was Cerbera's growl.

"D-dame, Cerbera-san!" Haruka exclaimed. She dug her heels into the sand and tugged strongly on Cerbera's arm. She hadn't let go of her angry friend yet, something she was now thankful for. "I'm sure she didn't mean it!"

Masato jogged past the slowing pair to accost the girl who threw the ball. "Excuse me," he said in his firmest tone, a tone Cerbera would recognize from the first time they met, "But that's the second time you've hit my friend with that ball. I know you're here to enjoy yourselves. So are we. That's why I'd like to ask you to either be more careful while playing or that you stop it before someone gets hurt. Please."

It was like he had also said And believe me, it won't be us who gets hurt.

Asteria gently started to take sips from the tea, Mmming softly while she looked at the scene infront of her. She blinked a few times before slowly putting the tea down on the sand, standing up and motion a finger to the ball to come closer to her, which it started to do? The ball rolled over to Astera and stopped at her feet, looking down at it.

Cerbera yelped when she was tugged more harder by Haruka, not expecting that at all and pressed back against Haruka because of it, she looked at Haruka with angry eyes before she heard Masato speak, turning to look at him.

" Eh..? She's doing it on purpose! "

Asteria picked up the ball, staring at it and walking over to the girl, who started to blink and freeze, she had seen the butterfly and thought it was nice magic, looking from Masato to Asteria. Asteria then got an idea, turning to look at Cerbera and Haruka, pointing at them.

" Play. "

She then threw the ball to Cerbera, which hit her in the head again. Cerbera started to twitch, staring at Asteria who was giggling, looking down at the ball before slowly starting to calm down when the girl came to them hesitantly, looking down and said to them.

" I..I'm sorry. "

Cerbera's rage dropped completely to look at her, shaking her head.

" ...No worries. "

Haruka didn't wither beneath Cerbera's glare as she was usually wont to. Neither did she budge despite the push. "Yada," she growled back. No...

Masato was about to reply to Cerbera when he spotted Asteria pick up the ball. Curious as to what the witch girl was up to, he held his peace, waiting to see what would happen next-

"Play?" he did comment.

-and winced when Asteria clocked Cerbera on the head with the ball. "Ouch," he found himself saying.

Haruka gaped. "Reh?" But she felt Cerbera relax in her grip. While surprised and puzzled, she was also relieved, releasing her friend on the basis of that feeling alone. "Oh..."

"I..I'm sorry," the girl at fault apologized to Cerbera.

"...No worries."

Masato smiled at Cerbera. "Well, that ends it, I think." He offered Haruka one of the cups he held. "Haruka, here you are."

"Arigatou, Masato-kun..."

Then he proffered the last cup to Cerbera. "I don't know if you like tea, Cerbera-san, but it's still hot, so it's good for you."

Cerbera did keep a close eye contact with Haruka when the girl refused her to let go, muttering out to her.

" Don't forget who beats who here.. Haruka.. "

Cerbera picked up the ball and gave it back to the small girl, patting her softly on the head.

" There you go.. "

The girl smiled at her and turned to run off, nodding at Masato and Asteria before she'd run back to her friends to play with them.

Asteria watched her leave and waved at her before she'd turn to Cerbera and Haruka, she did catch what was said and the action that went between them, shaking her head. She wondered what they would do.

Haruka pouted at Cerbera's reply. "Hey, I won once again you, you know. I worked really hard for that match, too..." But her complaint was good-natured, not insulting, Haruka looking rather small and henceforth cute while at it.

Ignored by the girls but pleased, Masato chuckled. He looked at Asteria. "I didn't catch your name, Miss."