I really shouldn't be starting a new story after leaving some of my stories without updates... but I really couldn't help myself. Anyway, since none of the crossovers between Date A Live and Hyperdimension Neptunia had been particularly satisfying for me, I decided to try my hand at it!

Not that I'm that confident with it seeing as I'm still learning the ropes for comedy, which Neptunia has a lot of.

So word of warning, this story might be a bit more serious than what is expected of a Hyperdimension Neptunia story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hyperdimension Neptunia or Date A Live.

A voice was calling out to him.

Please - ou can -oice, hel- me!

He could not tell who the owner of the voice was, all that could be discerned was that the voice was unmistakably female and that she was distressed.

He had this dream before – it had occurred countless times in the past six months, but recently had become more and more frequent.

-What trouble are you facing?

Despite the clarity of his thoughts, the disembodied voice would never reply.

-How can I help you?

It was a dream; he should not put too much thought in something that was supposed to be conceived by the mind to organize memories gathered in the waking world.

But would his memories in the waking world produce such a voice? Let alone, one asking for his help?

He knew that he shouldn't put much thought with this recurring dream, but he couldn't help but ask – even if he knew it would not be answered.

-Who are you?

A silence permeated the expanse of black that shrouded his eyes.

Then, he felt a light tug.

Light began to shine through the darkness, and instinctively he knew that he was beginning to wake.

-My name is Histoire

Startled by the reply, his resistance to waking vanished completely and the light that was beginning to encompass his vision momentarily blinded him…

"Shidou. Wake up!"

"W-WAH!?"

Falling down his bed, a young blue haired teen rubbed his sides and picked himself off of the floor. He wore a gray colored pants folded up to just below his knees, a black t-shirt worn under an unbuttoned short sleeved blue polo.

"You took your time waking up, Shidou." A female voice chastised, looming over the young man.

"S-sorry, IF."

Upon standing up, the young man was easily one head taller than the female that had allegedly woken him up.

"Come on. I've already picked up a quest from the local Basilicom, and it seems they're paying quite the sum for this one."

The girl named IF had long brown hair that grew past her shoulders towards the curve of her back. She wore a blue jacket, that seemed to be one size larger than she was, over a black tube top and a black short. She also wore a bow with a leaf like decoration, reminiscent of the trees that grew around the landmass of Leanbox.

Although IF was of the same age as Shidou, she looked to be at least a year or two younger in appearance.

"Hm?" IF directed a glare towards Shidou. "Were you thinking something rude right about now?"

"W-what? There's no way that's the case! I – I was just a bit confused due to my drea-"

Shidou tried to stop himself, but it was too late as IF frowned at him.

"That dream again?"

Shidou wanted to deny it, but IF had a sharp intuition and she could easily spot it if he was lying. It was something to be expected seeing as IF was the one that had practically raised him.

"Yes." He admitted reluctantly. "It's been happening a lot more lately. Like I'm getting closer to something…"

The dreams weren't exactly a bother, but its contents were troubling. Another source of worry was that it may be connected to the past he could not recall.

If it was something traumatizing, IF had said that there was no need to attempt to recall it.

"Should we leave then?"

"N-no…" Shidou immediately denied. "You already accepted the quest, right? And besides, we'd be leaving tomorrow for Lastation anyway."

He didn't want to be a burden to her, seeing as she had picked him up when he had just lost his memories. She had done so much for him that acting as her partner in her quests was only a small step towards repaying that debt.

"If you're sure." She said, unconvinced, before turning around to face the door. "Pick up your sword and let's go."

"Wait, what about breakfast?"

IF freezes at the mention of breakfast.

"T-there's no need! It will be a quick job anyway, so we can save some funds for lunch later."

Shidou was at first confused with her words, before a playful grin entered his lips.

"Oh? Is this about your reaction from last night?"

"O-of course not! I'm just saying it's more efficient to skip breakfast for today!"

"Now, now, IF. I had nothing to do with your reaction to my cooking last night." Shidou said with an amused shake of his head. "Besides, weren't you the one that taught me to always be fully prepared before going into a dungeon?"

IF had taught all of what Shidou knew on what is needed to become an adventurer. This included how to fight, what to look for in a battlefield to increase the chances of victory and various other aspects that would increase the chances of him surviving an encounter or being stranded out in the wild.

It was for that matter that bringing up any of her teachings to coerce IF to doing what Shidou wished was difficult to refute. Refuting it would be tantamount to being a hypocrite and that was something IF could not condone.

"…fine."

As if pulling out a tooth, IF let those difficult words slip out of her lips.

"Right then, wait here. I think we still have left over from last night's dinner, so I guess I'll prepare a simple omelette with orange juice."

Shidou sneaked a glance at IF, and caught a relieved look from her. Smiling a bit mischievously, Shidou added, "Unless you want it to be more complex, IF?"

"No, no! Simple is good!"

It wasn't as if Shidou enjoyed making things difficult for IF. If anything, Shidou was extremely grateful for IF that he would do just about anything for her as to repay his debt. That being the case, Shidou could not look away from possible factors that may reduce the chances of survival – and an empty stomach can easily decrease the chances of survival due to lack of energy.

Procuring some eggs and a pack of oranges from the fridge, Shidou entered the kitchen of their safehouse and put on his recently purchased apron.

It had only been recently that Shidou had started cooking.

Cracking a few eggs after putting a dash of oil onto the pan, Shidou began cooking the omelette while he prepared the other ingredients. With scarcely a thought, the vegetables were sliced up and, barely ten minutes in, two plates of omelette were served.

Placing the plate in front of IF, who looked like the food in front of her was about to eat her alive, Shidou gave a grin.

"Come now, IF. The food isn't going to eat you!"

"…you didn't add anything special to this, right?"

"Special? I only used the ingredients available to us."

That seemed to bolster IF's resolve as she grabbed her spoon.

"Let's eat!"

The sounds that came from IF's mouth soon after wouldn't be too different from something pulled directly from a rather lewd ecchi anime.

Within the cave that held the target monster that the Basilicom had tasked them to slay, IF and Shidou were having a casual conversation.

"…are you sure you don't have some cheat ability to make food delicious?" IF questioned, her cheeks red in embarrassment and her eyes turned away from the boy right next to her.

"I don't think so." Shidou replied. "Although I was as surprised as you are that I was any good at it."

To reiterate, Shidou had only started cooking quite recently. He had only purchased an apron two days ago, and when Shidou had joined IF in her travels, only IF had cooked. In the off chance that IF was incapable of cooking or they lacked the ingredients to do so, they had purchased food from local food stands or restaurants. If those were not available, foraging for edible materials was the next alternative.

Shidou had no experience in cooking from his one and a half years of memories, but when he had taken up the role of cooking a week ago, Shidou was just as surprised as IF with his skill with it.

"Were you a chef before you lost your memories? No… you're too young for that. Maybe you were the child of a traveling chef but because of a great tragedy, you were separated, your father thought you to be dead, and you had lost all of your memory of your family legacy!"

"What is that, the plot of a manga centered on cooking?!"

"But you can't deny that it's something you must have done before you lost your memories."

"That's true…"

Shidou had simply picked up a knife that day, and somehow, his body moved with scarcely a thought. He had thought at that time that he would have to recall all the times that IF had cooked food and haphazardly emulate it, but his body moved with little prodding and he had somehow produced a meal that wouldn't be out of place from a three-star or even four-star restaurant.

"Still, I guess that means you weren't a warrior of some sort before you lost your memories." IF said to herself, before stopping.

Shidou, quickly understanding the situation, took out his weapon hanging on his back.

The weapon was a large double-edged great sword, nearly as wide as Shidou's own body and its weight would easily make it difficult for anyone of IF's build to even think of fighting with it. Despite its size and weight however, Shidou easily handled it with one hand before holding it with both.

For IF's part, she didn't make any large movements but somehow, a pair of Katar's made itself apparent from IF's sleeves.

"Three Clydes." IF declared, her eyes spotting the glowing eyes of the monster through the dimly lit cavern. "I'll engage two of them in combat while you take out the other."

"Understood."

IF dashed forward, her body close to the ground and within a second, she was in front of one Clyde her katar blurring, inflicting several gouges on the Clydes's skin causing it to flinch backwards.

The other Clydes made to act, but before it can do anything but raise its club, IF had spun on place and delivered a roundhouse kick towards the Clydes's head, sending it rolling on the ground. The third Clyde leapt towards IF, intent on attacking her but a large great sword descended and had immediately cleaved the attacking Clydes in half.

IF gave a nod of acknowledgement before parrying the lunge of the Clydes she had kicked. Once the Clyde slid beside her, she followed up a quick jab to the jugular sending blood gushing out of the punctured blood vessel and to follow up, Shidou stabbed the Clyde by the trunk of its body with his great sword, ending any form of resistance.

The last Clydes remaining attempted to attack Shidou's prone back, but IF had foreseen it coming and had vaulted over Shidou's form to meet the Clydes with her katar, forcing the Clydes to land on its back.

Leaping through the air, she sent one last attack towards the Clydes's neck, ending its life.

"…that was quick." Shidou commented, after taking a good look at the surrounding to make sure there weren't any nearby other monsters.

"You're just getting used to how a battle is supposed to go. Still… you have ways to go if you were going to let that last Clyde attack your back."

"…sorry."

IF swung her Katar a few times to get rid of the flecks of blood that remained on it, while Shidou similarly made the same swings before placing his great sword on his back.

"Just don't forget that I won't always have your back, Shidou." IF started to walk further into the cave, with Shidou follower her a few steps behind. "For that matter, why did you choose a great sword anyway? You don't seem to have the build of a great sword user."

"Why?" Shidou took a moment to think about it, before shaking his head. "I'm not sure really. It just felt like… I've used something similar before."

"Something from your past, huh? Still, it doesn't look like you have any skill on using it before I taught you. That's even after you got that… crystal from Leanbox." IF said, her voice a tinge doubtful. "Your skill with the great sword isn't anything like your skill in coo- OOF!"

"IF!?"

Shidou quickly moved forward, to see IF on her butt while across from her, was a purple haired preteen wearing a hoodie with purple edges and a lighter purple that was close to the color white main body. She wore thigh high socks that had white and light blue stripes and she wore shorts much shorter than the one IF was wearing.

"Ow… Watch it, girl. This isn't the place for kindergarteners to have recess!" IF says heatedly, rubbing her head.

The purple haired girl directed a glare towards IF as she stood up.

"Kindergarteners? Looks who's talking! Who're you? Do you live in this icky cave?"

IF stood up as well and directed a glare towards the other girl.

"Do I look like a ragged bum to you? I'm IF. I'm here to eliminate the monsters here with my partner as requested by the Basilicom. Who're you?"

At the mention of partner, the purple haired girl directed her gaze towards Shidou. The other girl behind the purple haired girl, one that held long pink hair, black choker with a pink heart, and wore a white sweater over her modest chest, also directed her gaze towards Shidou.

"I-I'm Shidou." He introduced a bit awkwardly. "I'm IF's partner."

Thinking on his words a bit, it was a rather lackluster introduction.

"Ohhh… a guy, huh? And seeing as you're already actively in a party… does this mean that the genre has shifted from all girls yuri fest into a harem?"

…what was this girl talking about?

"I'm Neptune!" She introduced cheerfully. "The one behind me is Compa and we've come here to eliminate the monsters to help people in danger!"

"H-hello. I enjoy arts and crafts, and I'm good at math. I know I don't look like it, but it's something I'm quite proud of."

The purple haired girl called Neptune, turned her attention towards Compa.

"So you're good at math? Then from now in you're in charge of item inventory and accounting!" With that declaration, she turned her attention back towards IF and Shidou. "Anyway, why not help us conquer this dungeon?"

IF turned her attention towards Shidou, her eyes asking if it was fine with him.

Shidou had no real qualms against partying with another set of adventurers and after looking over the pair… he couldn't help but feel worried for them.

"Fine. The more help we get, the easier it would be for us. Anyway, know this! It isn't us joining you, but you joining us!"

Neptune's eyes brightened at IF's acceptance of the invitation.

"Oh, you'll do it? I'm glad I asked! Compa, Iffy said she and Shidou are joining our party!"

Was the girl really listening? …and wait, Iffy?

"Whatever." IF said, shaking her head in slight frustration. "And don't call me Iffy. That's not my name."

Despite the expression that IF held, Compa greeted her with a bright smile.

"Now we really look like a party! We'll be together forever. It's our pleasure to have you with us."

Forever? Shidou thought in confusion.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. Wait, forever? No, just for now. As in, this dungeon."

"Bzzzt! We're already a party, so you can't get away from us even if you try." Neptune placed her hands on her hips and directed a heated glare towards IF. "Abandoning your party is against the rule of this world. You got that, missy?"

"There's a rule like that?" Shidou asked, a bit surprised at IF being stunned into silence.

"Oh, yes." Compa replied. "It's one of the teachings of Planeptune's Basilicom!"

"That's news to me, I think…"

"Really? I hear that it's common knowledge amongst the different land masses."

Shidou didn't really know what to say to that.

"Hey guys! Hurry up! The boss of this dungeon isn't going to kill itself you know!"

Further up ahead, Neptune lively swung her wooden sword and yelled animatedly.

"…Shidou. Make sure that idiot doesn't get herself killed."

"…right."

Author's Notes:

Anyway, only one character from Date A Live will appear physically in this story (as far as I have planned thus far). This world is also somewhat AU given how I'm going to modify how the guild and monsters work along with certain world building material. As for plot, it roughly follows the Re:birth events - and I say roughly since I'm liable to change things around with Shidou present.

If anyone is wondering as to what the pairings are, then look no further to the scene commonly present in Date A Live.

Updates are sporadic as always (especially since I don't have a laptop or PC of my own at the moment). That said, I've written out nearly all of the initial Planeptune arc, and the most likely reason why it won't be uploaded soon is due to either adding character development scenes or editing scenes I'm not particularly happy with.

As a final note, Merry Christmas to all!