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ATTENTION: READ!
This story builds up on the events of my other fan-fiction "The Broken Wall".
It can still be read without knowledge of the events, but a bunch of questions will be left unanswered.
You've been warned!
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Gamindustri has been hit hard by the events of that fateful day.
The day Planeptune just barely stood.
The day when Nepgear became Purple Heart.

Speaking of her, she has also been hit really hard by the death of her sister.
IF and Compa were with us whenever possible and I only left when I really needed to.
Well, in the end I was the only person who really had all the time in the world to help her.
Literally. There was Histoire but well... She made sure Planeptune wouldn't burn down (once again).

And well, I said 'Gamindustri'. Really, only the other CPUs and Oracles as they were the only ones that had received the message yet.
Still they couldn't do more than just give their condolences as well.

And today... Today Nepgear would announce it to the public of Gamindustri.
Announcing sounds wrong... Telling them the bad news seems more appropriate.
Even Plutia has come to support her in the speech.
She was Neptune's best friend after all and is a Planeptune CPU as well, though of a different dimension. But does that matter?

Oh... It begins.
The crowd was still loud.
I am hidden in crowd when Nepgear and Plutia both float onto the stage.
They are in their HDD and both look sad to say the least.
Nepgear is still slightly sobbing, while Iris Heart comforts her by patting her back.
Is... Is it just me or is seeing Iris Heart sad unnatural... Not to speak about actual comforting.
Well, whatever, the crowd is immediately silent when they enter.

"Hello... *sniff* This is Nepgear... Ex-CPU Candidate of Planeptune." Nepgear speaks slowly into the microphone.
Confused discussions can be heard from the crowd, probably about the 'Ex' part.
"The reason I am no longer the Candidate is... *sniff* is..." She couldn't even say it out load. It was really sad to say the least.
Then she breaks out into tears. Covering her face with her hands, she manages to speak out the horrible words.
"N-Neptune,... Purple Heart,... *sniff* my older sister h-has died in battle... *sniff* I am the CPU now..."

The crowd gives mixed responses...
Anything from shock, over crying to... praising it?
Welp, Iris Heart hears the last kind of reaction as well and hand-picks everybody out of the crowds and flings them outta here.
Probably not the worst that could have happened to them.
She floats back to the stage as she has to something as well.

"You might not know who I am, but let me tell you, I was a good friend of Neppy." She is definitely more collected than Nepgear is...
"We wish for all the support you can give Nepgear in these hard times for Planeptune." As she paused, she eyed over the crowd shortly.
"If you wish to say something, please come up here and speak." She picks up the microphone, waiting for somebody to come.
Meanwhile, Nepgear is still crying her eyes out. It doesn't seem like she is about to stop either.

Soon after, somebody seems to be pushing through the crowd.
When the person reaches the stage I could recognize silver hair and red ripped pants...
Tekken? She is extremely shy! Why would she-
She runs past Iris Heart, dumb-founding her and hugs Nepgear who returns the hug almost immediately.
A little after that, three heads of blue hair and three heads of red hair, a brunette, a blonde, somebody with orange hair and two people who looked like they had animal ears run to the stage as well.
5pb., MAGES., Red, Falcom, Cave, IF, Compa, MarvelousAQL, CyberConnect2, Broccoli and... uhh... somebody else with blue hair also embrace Nepgear in a group-hug.

It didn't take long before the entire crowd seems to have hugged somebody else, known to them or not.
Uhm... most of the population is girls and... I have a girl-friend.
Let's get out of here before something weird hap-
DAMMIT!

"You better now, Gear?" I ask Nepgear, back in the Planeptune Basilicom.
In privacy. No girls clinging onto me just 'cause they could.
"I think so." Her reply is barely audible and doesn't sound really believable.
"I can see you feel better but... well... you're not over it. It's been just a week. That'd be too soon anyways. It will get better eventually."

I wrap my arms around her but she seems like she's thinking about something...
"You're giving the fault to yourself, right?" She nods.
Looks like Nepgear is in one of those 'it is all my fault'-scenarios. Again.
"You shouldn't blame yourself. You've done that before. And besides, you've a nation to protect."
"How am I supposed to protect a nation if I can't even protect my sister... You'd do that much better..."
I would give up now, but she's needs me... us. Everybody.

"Don't you think you're sister had to protect you? 'cause that's what she did all the time. She tried her best when she could. Don't you think you should do that, too?"
"Yeah, you're right, I can't sulk around forever..."
Nepgear finally returns the hug.
"But please be with me. I wouldn't know what to do without you..."

"I wi-" I am interrupted by my phone.

...

"Way to ruin the mood." I complain and check the phone.
My mom. Who else?
Another message begging me to return home.
It's like... the 15th. And that's just from today.

...

Wait...
I just got an idea.
"Hey, how about we get us some vacation?"
"Huh?"

A/N

This... came out later than I had wanted it to.
Expect updates to come out slower than they had previously.
I had just 'finished' Re;Birth3 and thought it'd be a good time to finally post this.
And I had expected at least some speculations. Whatever.
Have a nice day and hopefully enjoy reading further. :P