The holiday season had finally come to Gamindustri. People far and wide were getting in the spirit all around the land — be it recovering from the sporadic fog and occasional cube headed terrors that had plagued them during Hilloween, or getting ready for everyone's favorite festive, gift-giving holiday, Pongsmas.
Today, however, was a rather special day. Only one of the four mighty nations of Gamindustri was celebrating a holiday on this day. It wasn't an unheard of phenomenon. Each of the nations occasionally would celebrate a holiday the others didn't, or two or three might celebrate the resolution of a battle with a holiday that the other nations weren't involved in.
Today's holiday in particular was a longstanding tradition of Leanbox: Thanksharing. It had started long, long ago, and had continued throughout the years to celebrate and share thanks for the fruits of the previous year, like the great harvest of food and games. People would gather round the table, stacked high with delicious food, to share it and their feelings with those they cared about...
"... and there's also some history to it, but since we're here, I'll save the rest for the trip back home if Vert doesn't tell us a story about it all herself." Nepgear smiled brightly at the three other girls, glowing with pride for being able to show off how she had researched the holiday that they were going to go celebrate with Vert. The other three CPU Candidates... did not look as impressed. "W-What's wrong, everyone...? Didn't you find that interesting?"
"That's..." Uni awkwardly looked away from the hopeful gaze of Planeptune's CPU Candidate, pointedly looking at the door of Leanbox's Basilicom instead. She got enough boring stuff at home, getting it from Nepgear like that had been like some kind of betrayal from the girl. She sighed. Surely one of the twins must have been entertained by it! After all, they had their sister read to them all the time!
"U-Um... I..." Uni felt relief starting to fill her as Rom, ever sweet on Nepgear, looked to the purple haired girl as though she were about to give her the answer she was seeking, when...
"Our sister would've made it not be so boring. Right, Rom? Right?" Uni winced at the innocent-yet-oh-so-blunt comment delivered by Ram. Nepgear's face fell and Rom looked between her sister and Nepgear like she had no idea who to agree with. For a timid girl like her, it didn't take a genius to realize that she was already fearing no matter what her answer, she would hurt someone.
It looks like it was up to Uni.
"I-It wasn't that boring! I learned a lot." Stepping in at long last to save the situation, Uni crossed her arms, a pink stain on each of her cheeks, and looked purposefully at Ram — as if warning her that another comment like that would land her in the dogoohouse. Either getting the message or just not wanting to incur Uni's wrath, the smaller girl stood down, at which point Uni let out a breath of air inwardly before turning to Nepgear. "Y-You can tell us the rest later, okay? Right now, we have to go inside. We're here a little late because of our sisters holding us up..."
Nepgear blinked at Uni's comment, her mind shifting gears at that reminder...
Nepgear was so excited. Half a year had passed since the fall of ASIC, and this was going to be her first holiday season after really getting to know all of the other goddesses and their sisters and her other friends. She had read five books on Thanksharing and was planning to tell everyone all about it on the flight over to Leanbox, and now the time had come for them to leave Planeptune's Basilicom and head out.
There was just one problem.
"Aren't you all coming too, Sis?"
The words escaping her before she could stop them, Nepgear stopped just as she was about to transform into Purple Sister and turned to the group behind her. Her fellow CPU Candidates, Uni, Rom, and Ram, were following her, but the three CPUs, Neptune, Noire, and Blanc, were staying behind and sharing strange looks between each other. The girl didn't understand.
"Yeah! I wanna have our first Thanksharing together!" Ram immediately piped in when she realized that her older sister — no, all of the older sisters — didn't seem like they were particularly invested in joining the little sisters in going to Leanbox.
"Wanna..." Even Rom was adding her own thoughts on the matter, and while Uni wasn't speaking up, her hopeful eyes made her thoughts on the matter clear. She wanted to spend this mysterious holiday with her sister — with everyone.
"H-Huh? Oh, uhhh..." Despite the clear pleas from the younger girls, Neptune didn't seem like she was intending on giving in. In fact... Looking at all three of them, it seemed as though they had been wary of this from the start for some were looking at each other, with expressions that could almost be described as guilty. "Y-Y'know, we've done the whole Thanksharing thing with Vert before, so we thought it'd be fun if you guys got to have the fun this time!"
The sisters didn't buy it.
"Look, why don't we just tell them? Maybe they won't even want to-" Noire looked like she wanted to reason with the other two CPUs, but they promptly glared at her, Blanc even going as far as clamping her hand over Noire's mouth, much to the CPU's obvious displeasure. As Blanc manhandled Noire in a way that all the Candidates, and even Neptune from the looks of things, found surprising, the third CPU stepped forward and put on a sheepish look.
"Sorry, Blanc, but we gotta tell them..." A wink that went unseen by the CPU Candidates was sent to Lowee's CPU before Planeptune's turned to the Candidates with a wide smile. "You guys go ahead! Neptannukah is coming up, you know, holiest two weeks in my calendar, right? I'm taking the gals shopping for presents for you girls!"
"Wha...? You are not- Ow!" Noire, having finally escaped, found herself elbowed by not only Blanc, but Neptune too.
"Yeah, that's what we're doing. Go have fun, squirts."
And that had been that. The Candidates left the CPUs behind to go celebrate Thanksharing with Vert and Chika by themselves.
"I guess you're right. Come on, everyone!" Nepgear nodded, shaking away the minor setback that was learning she was apparently boring — it wasn't like that would ever be a problem for her later on, right? — before stepping forward and entering the Basilicom, holding the door open for her friends behind her. "Um... H-Hello! We're here! Wait, why are you all stopping-?"
Closing the door behind her, Nepgear finally entered the Basilicom after the other Candidates — who, for some reason, were just standing in the entrance. She couldn't understand why none of them were going inside, but as soon as she got a hold of the situation, surely she could get things... going...
"Oh... my..." She swallowed. "This isn't like the pictures in my books."
Now that Nepgear had gotten a decent a look at the inside of the Basilicom and how it was decorated, she too was simply standing and staring at the walls and decorations. Certainly, someone had been in a festive mood, and surely, someone had gone to a lot of trouble putting up all of this, but... The decorations were just so...
Large dollar signs cut in half everywhere. Store advertisements enlarged to the size of posters. Pictures of items that must have been printed off the internet. The mindset of the kind of person who would use these as decorations on a day for being thankful was clear, but Nepgear couldn't believe that it could be true.
"I... I don't get it Nepgear, this doesn't sound like what you were saying at all." Uni spoke honestly for once, her confusion evident. Apparently, much to Nepgear's secret delight, the other Candidate had really been listening to her. "Are you sure this is right?"
"I'm sure... Maybe Vert celebrates it differently?" Nepgear tilted her head, surveying the strange decorations in wonder.
"This is a holiday for being thankful, girls, and my sister is extremely thankful for all the sales Leanbox is going to have tomorrow on Green Friday." At the sudden appearance of the Oracle, Nepgear jumped at her voice. Uni did the same, but quickly tried to hide it. Ram cried out, while Rom naturally attached herself to her sister. "Oh come now, am I that scary? I'm still surprised too... I can't believe this is what she wanted to do this year."
"B-But... We're here for Thanksharing..." Nepgear started slowly, glancing at Chika hopefully. The way the Oracle was talking, it sounded like these decorations were abnormal. Maybe... Maybe there was hope for the holiday Nepgear was looking forward to yet? Even these decorations shouldn't have to cut away that hope just yet! "Is this really what Vert thinks about Thanksharing?"
"Hmm? Don't be silly. She just didn't want to get her hopes up after what happened last time, so the decorations are for things she's thankful for for herself. She put a lot of work into this the last time all of the CPUs could come, but..." A strange look crossed Chika's face, as if she wanted to say more, but was holding back. "I'm sure she'll be sharing her thanks that at least you all came. There's enough for twenty people, but I know my sister well — she was sure it would just be the two of us... Oh, actually, I'm kind of disappointed now..."
"W-What do you mean? My sister wanted to come, and so did Uni's and Rom and Ram's, they just..." Nepgear bit her lip at the look Chika was giving her. She was starting to feel like she was missing something.
"Is that so? I'll take your word for it then, Nepgear." Smiling, Chika began to hum and left her explanation at that, turning away from Nepgear and heading deeper into the Basilicom. "Dinner is just about done. Sister's put a lot of love and care into it, so be sure to enjoy it!"
"Vert's cooked it? Really?" Nepgear immediately perked up at the sound of that — Uni looked at her darky, but Nepgear didn't seem to notice the mini-tsundere's gaze. "Come on, everyone, if Vert cooked it, it's sure to be delicious!"
The twins seemed oblivious to Uni's plight, and with Nepgear fueling them, they each took one of the older Candidate's hands and dashed off in the direction Chika had gone. Uni nearly tripped as she realized she was getting left behind, dashing after her friends in no time at all.
"H-Hey, stop! Wait for me...!"
Pleasantries were exchanged in mostly the usual way. Vert was wearing a strange outfit that seemed to look like an old military uniform ("The heroic space marine foremothers of Leanbox wore clothes like this, you see!") and seemed as happy as ever to see Nepgear and the rest, but nothing outside of Vert's clothes seemed that strange, considering how the entrance had looked in comparison...
At least nothing seemed too strange at first.
Nepgear was surprised by how excited Vert was acting. She hadn't put much into what Chika had said earlier — after all, it was Chika they were talking about here — but Vert really did seem ecstatic to have company on this Thanksharing. Of course, she was always ecstatic to see the CPU Candidates, especially without their sisters around, but this was something more than that. It was in this moment that Nepgear recalled the distance Vert often found herself claiming away from the other CPUs — seemingly older in spirit, more dignified, and of course, lacking a younger sister of her own...
Watching Vert practically dance around the room, teasing the laughing twins, Uni trying to look mature and force her smile down, Nepgear felt guilty — she should have pushed to get her sister and the others to come too. With how happy this was making Vert, with how thankful she so clearly was feeling, she knew that next year, she would do everything she could to make sure it was a grand Thanksharing possible for everyone.
Or so she thought right now, anyway.
"... and then I- Oh!" Vert paused in the midst of whatever she was saying to the other three Candidates, her eyes meeting Nepgear's. The CPU Candidate quickly realized she had been caught with such a solemn face during what should be a fun time between friends. "Nepgear? Is something the matter? I wasn't boring you, was I?"
"N-Not at all, Vert!" Quickly throwing up her hands, Nepgear frantically looked around in the hopes of coming up with some sort of excuse. Her eyes eventually landed on Uni, who was looking at Nepgear in concern. Latching onto that, Nepgear formulated a plan. She smiled at Vert and raised her hand in the direction of her friend. "I... I was just thinking how cute Uni would look in an outfit like yours, and that it's such a shame she can't wear one too. That's all."
Nepgear let out a sigh of relief knowing that there would be no reason for this excuse not to be accepted — and now that she had said it, she certainly couldn't deny it now that she thought about it.
"R-Really, Nepgear? Seriously...? That's what you've been thinking all this time...?" Unaware of the implications of her next actions, Nepgear nodded, giving Uni a cheerful smile — after all, she really did mean it now, even if it had only just occurred to her. Wait, why was Uni standing so upright like that...? "V-Vert! Since Nepgear is insisting, it can't be helped — I demand an outfit like yours!"
"Oh...? You demand it, mmm?" Vert giggled at the face Uni made at her teasing. She was so cute, trying to be a little Noire like that. She could just eat that sweet girl up, goodness!
Watching this exchange, it occurred to Nepgear that she actually didn't remember insisting anything... but Vert seemed to be lighting up at the prospect, so Nepgear decided not to push that matter any. It wasn't really that important anyway, and she didn't want to bring attention to what she had really been thinking.
"How about this? I'll give all of you matching outfits. Dinner should be just about ready, so by the time you girls get changed, I can bring you food and we can all sit down to a Thanksharing dinner like no other!" Vert was sparkling again, Nepgear noted, but she didn't mind — even Uni seemed to be excited now, though the CPU Candidate couldn't for the life of her think of what could have gotten Uni so amped up all of a sudden. "It'll be like you're all my little cadets!"
Nepgear, in her unyielding trust of the older girl, didn't question the obvious — no, the obvious simply didn't even occur to her. Uni, a woman on a mission, wouldn't question anything if it meant she could wear the outfit in question in front of Nepgear — so wrapped up in this mission, she too didn't even wonder...
But as the four girls followed Vert to what was more than likely another one of her merchandise filled rooms, Rom innocently tugged on Ram's sleeve, a curious expression on her face.
"How come she already has clothes that fit us...? I don't remember talking about this before now..."
Ram simply stared, as if it was stranger to question Vert having clothes that fit all four of them than it was to accept that fact and go along with it. Deciding that she must be overthinking the matter, Rom shrugged to herself and didn't bring it up again. Luckily, they had just arrived at where Vert was taking them, and as she stepped inside, anything anyone had been thinking previously quickly slipped their minds.
They had just entered... The Sister Zone. On one side of the room, clothes clearly meant for all of them on clothing racks and even the walls, complete with mirrors and so on on the other side of the room. Three of the Candidates seemed awestruck by such a room — despite whatever intentions had gone into its creation, it was still really just a big playroom meant for them — but the fourth Candidate was starting to notice something about this place.
"I was here during the Leanbox Ending, wasn't I?" Nepgear suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence by making a reference no one but herself and Vert could understand. That had certainly been... an experience. Not a necessarily unenjoyable one, but... "All of this wasn't here before, though... When did you get it all, Vert?"
"Oh, you know, around." Giving a noncomittal answer like that, Vert cheerily headed over to all of the clothes and began sifting through them, looking not unlike a woman on a mission herself. "Let's see here... My, yes, here they are!"
Just like that, Vert was offering four matching military uniforms to each of the corresponding CPU Candidates. She glanced at a clock on the wall, and then hastily informed them that dinner would likely be ready in no more than ten minutes, and before they knew it, the goddess was practically skipping own the hall so quickly that Nepgear wasn't sure if it had even been a minute since they had entered The Sister Zone. Now, here they were, already changing. Nepgear couldn't help but wonder, though, why would Vert want them to change so quickly? She had vivid memories of her last, heart-pounding encounter with this room of Vert's, and the goddess had made it clear she liked spending time with those in it... Say... What was it that had brought them here again?
Nepgear looked over the room as she changed her clothes, catching a glimpse of Uni in the mirror — already almost finished changing. She smiled brightly at her friend's struggle. She really did look rather cute like this...
... Oh! That must be it! That had to be why Vert was so eager!
"I see..." Having finished her outfit swap first, Nepgear turned and looked appreciatively towards her three friends, before directing her gaze towards Uni, who was just turning around herself. She hesitantly looked at Nepgear, apparently liking the reaction she was getting... yet she simply got quiet after deciding that — how unlike her. "Vert must think you'll look cute too, Uni. She might even be more excited to see you dressed up that me."
Uni's mouth fell open at this comment for a variety of reasons.
Here are some of those reasons now:
Vert thought she was cute?
No way, no way no way no way, she wasn't in that league!
Besides, Vert had to be excited that Nepgear looks so cute.
Why is Nepgear paying so much attention to what Vert is saying?
Why can't Nepgear pay more attention to what she says?
Hold on... Did Nepgear just say she was excited to see Uni dressed up?
Doesn't that mean she's really saying... Uni... makes her... excited...?!
She wasn't ready for this!
It's too soon!
She's not ready for this level of commitment!
W-Well... I-If it's Nepgear, then...
Oh... When did Nepgear change?
Wow... Now she looks cute... She looks great...! Is that legal...?!
She has to say something. Nepgear just complimented her, now she has to do it back. It's the perfect moment...
But she can't say it! It would be too embarrassing to say it!
What should she do? What should she do? What should she do?
"Y-Yeah, right. I guess she would..." Uni finally managed to avert her gaze from the exotic sight that was Nepgear dressed up like a soldier. "Y-You're not... I mean... You're not too bad either. N-Not that you're as cute as me, but you're close."
Nepgear laughed at the typical response of Uni's — no idea what sorts of things she had missed that had been going on in her friend's head. Seeing that smile, Uni found her resolve weakening. Swallowing, she worked up her courage, closed her eyes so she didn't have to see anyone's reaction, and...
"No... Nepgear's the cutest...!"
... got beaten to the punch by Rom.
Rom too!? Vert is competition enough! No fair!
"You think so, Rom?" W-Was Nepgear blushing!? Rom made her blush!? What was Uni supposed to do now? She'd just look like she was copying Rom if she said anything at this point! All she could do was watch helplessly as the purple haired Candidate walked over to the brunette... and... offered her her hand...!? "I think you're very cute too, Rom. Come on, let's go. Dinner should probably be just about ready now."
Uni gaped. Nepgear was escorting Rom out of the room like a hero and a princess rather than a pair of soldier cosplayers.
"T-That..."
That should have been her holding Nepgear's hand!
"W-Wait! I changed my mind! Wait for me! Nepgear is actually cute too, s-so, umm...!"
"Hahaha! Your face is all red, Uni! Rom, Nepgear, look at Uni's face!"
"S-Stop it, Ram! It is not!"
"Girls, stop yelling in the hallway, we're guests — and you're all cute."
"Yeah... All of you..."
Their conversation, ever playful, continued like this all the way to the dining room, where they were joined by Chika, who was also wearing a matching uniform now. Had she gotten jealous or something...?
"Hmmm? Don't I look cute too?"
"Chika? When did you..."
Before Nepgear could question the Oracle about this further, she was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. The same happy, bouncy footsteps that she had heard many times throughout the course of this friendly gathering of friends. Hearing them was all she needed to feel that excitement she had felt when she had been looking over those pages back home — this was such a new and exciting experience for her, seeing a foreign holiday firsthand, at the hands of its goddess no less! She couldn't wait!
"Dinner is served!"
In came Vert, with the main course in hand. It should have been a time for drooling and anticipation and excitement. It should have been a time for compliments and arguing over who got the best part of the famed Thanksharing bird. It should have been many things, but it wasn't any of them.
The Candidates simply stared at the thing Vert was carrying into the dining room.
If the decorations had been strange, the meal they were expected to eat made them look plain.
It was a boxbird.
There was a giant boxbird cooked up like a regular bird and coming towards the table.
Vert seriously wanted them to eat a boxbird.
Nepgear looked like she didn't know what to believe about anything anymore.
If she couldn't trust books, what could she trust...?!
"H-Have any of you ever eaten one of these before...?" Uni was the one who bravely whispered the question. She was staring at the... thing in Vert's arms like she couldn't look away. Nepgear realized the only reason she knew this was because she couldn't bear to look even remotely in its direction. "Nepgear, when you were talking about feasts, you never said the bird was... one of these!"
"T-They weren't specific about what kind of bird it was! How could I know...?!" Nepgear wailed quietly in response, keeping her voice low so Vert couldn't hear her. "Who would seriously want to..."
"Are you ready, girls? I've been up since early this morning cooking this up! You're in for a real treat! Hope you're hungry!"
With a clatter, the plate with the boxbird on it came into contact with the table, silencing all hushed comments that the Candidates were making.
Their meal had descended.
There was no more time for talk.
There was only one thing left to do.
May the True Goddess have mercy on their souls.
"I... I don't feel so well..."
Vert tilted her head as the words escaped little Rom's lips. The other Candidates, all looking varying degrees of horrible, tried to nod their assent, but found themselves unable. It was like there was some sort of gross, nasty brick of sickness in their stomachs, and moving even a little just made it feel worse.
Strangely, whereas Chika had excused herself early on, Vert — perhaps from having eaten this for years and having built up a resistance — seemed fine.
"You're just so cute, Rom! How can Blanc possibly think she can send you over here without me putting up a fight?" Sparkling far more than anyone who had just eaten what they had all just eaten had any right to sparkle, Vert rose from her seat and began approaching Rom. Nepgear noticed a light flush on the CPU's cheeks and realized why she hadn't been willing to share her drinks. "Don't worry, your new older sister will help!"
As Vert picked up Rom and spun her around the room, the green faced Uni groaned at the dizzying sight and dropped her head onto the table. Despite feeling ill herself, seeing her sister in danger, Ram jumped up from her seat in an attempt to save poor Rom. There was a seriously high chance of suffocation from how Vert was holding her! This was no time to be worried about food poisoning! Now it was Rom turning green, and she was already turning greener than Green Heart's hair!
Nepgear sighed, recalling the magical feast she had been picturing enjoying with her friends on the flight over. She had still had a little hope before she had tasted it, but one bite of the boxbird "meat" had sent that fantasy flying. She wasn't Gently patting Uni on the back, hoping the poor girl wasn't feeling as sick as she looked — or Nepgear herself felt. No wonder Chika hadn't thought her sister would be coming... Neptune had probably been through this more times than Nepgear wanted to know.
It was just...
Why the goodness would anyone cook a box with wings every single year!?
As she thought of Neptune, Nepgear knew she couldn't fool herself into thinking that her sister was getting presents. Neptune was a notoriously last minute shopper and Neptannukah was still a few weeks away... And yet, after going through this, she couldn't begrudge her beloved older sister for leaving them to the dogoos — or boxbirds, as the case was this time. At least she had been able to help her sister out this time...
"I just hope our sisters are having more fun than we are..."
Across the world, in quiet room in Planeptune, Purple Heart blinked slowly. Very... Very... Very slowly.
The world felt very strange right now.
Her though?
She felt like... good. She felt like good. Yes. That was what she was like feeling.
What?
Huh?
Oh well.
"Hic."
She wondered if there was anything to drink left. She didn't really remember much of what had happened after the three of them, bored out of their minds, had stumbled upon the hidden stash of alcohol in Histoire's office, but she knew it had been a really good time at least.
Who knew Histy had been holding out on her for so long...
A lopsided grin formed on her lips, her cheeks flushed like never before. If her vision was clearer, she might have been able to see the flashing INTOXICATED notification where status ailments normally liked to hover. Considering the effects of this particular status ailment, Purple Heart didn't even notice it. Instead, she just looked around the room, occasionally hiccuping.
She dimly recognized that there were two bodies next to her, wearing much less than they probably should be wearing (come to think of it, when had she unequipped all of her processors...?), sleeping soundly and resting peacefully in each of her arms and on her body. She understood that this was something no one had planned and it was something that they would probably never speak of again. Somewhere in her foggy mind, she understood the party that had taken place over the course of this Thanksharing night would probably come with some consequences.
Maybe fun consequences? She would not be opposed to fun consequences.
The thing was, Purple Heart just wasn't in the state of mind for caring about any of that at all right now. She wasn't really in the state of mind for anything. As it happened, all she could do was stare at something that had somehow ended up on a lampshade across the room. Alien yet, somehow, it seemed extremely familiar, almost intimately so — like a close friend she had become acquainted with again recently after a long time apart. She knew it didn't belong there but she had no idea how or when it had gotten there.
And quite frankly?
It was so... funny.
A giggle that was most unlike Purple Heart erupted from her lips, interrupted only by the occasional hiccup. She kept up this lazy mixture of giggles and hiccups for more time than a goddess likely ever should, her eyes not leaving the lampshade for a second.
And then?
Purple Heart began to sing.
"On the second... hic... day of Pongsmas... My goddess... hic... gave to me... Two pairs of CPU pan~ties..."